VENEZUELA:A delicate mission to free three hostages held by Colombian guerrillas appeared to collapse on Monday as the government and rebel leaders accused each other of trying to kill the deal.
The Venezuela-led plan to pick up two women hostages and a child born to one of them in captivity has been repeatedly delayed since last Thursday and rebel leaders said intense army operations in the jungle region made it impossible for now.
"In these conditions it would put in grave risk the lives of these people to free them," the rebels said in a letter sent to Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chávez, who had negotiated the deal for the release of the three hostages. Colombian president Alvaro Uribe rejected the allegation and accused rebel commanders of inventing excuses.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) promised earlier this month to deliver the three to Mr Chávez, and he sent two helicopters to Colombia last Friday to pick them up.
Mr Chávez read out Farc's letter explaining its failure to say where the hostages were, and he accused Mr Uribe of sabotaging his rescue plan.
"Uribe went to dynamite the third phase of this operation," Mr Chávez said, adding that independent reports also pointed to an intensification of Colombian military activity in the area.
Mr Chávez said his helicopters would stay. "Unless we are thrown out of Colombia, we will stay," he said, adding that he was in contact with the guerrillas and still hoped they would tell him where the hostages were.
Mr Uribe, who has clashed repeatedly with Mr Chávez, denied military operations had prevented the handover.He offered to halt army patrols in an area designated by the Farc once they reveal the location of their captives. -