Families of Colombian hostages held by leftist rebels awaited news about the fate of their loved ones yesterday after an anticipated release of three captives suffered a last-minute delay.
"They will not be freed before Christmas. They have not appeared and for the moment there is nothing," Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba, a mediator in the hostage crisis, said by telephone from Medellin.
She said that the release of the three is "certain and will happen," but did not specify when exactly.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said a week ago they would free Clara Rojas, her son Emmanuel, who was born in captivity from her relationship with a rebel, and lawmaker Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo.
Rojas has been a captive since 2002, when she was seized along with French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancour as she was campaigning for president. Perdomo was kidnapped in 2001.
According to a FARC communique, the three are to be released to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez or someone he designates. They are among 45 prominent hostages FARC wants to swap with Bogota for some 500 jailed rebels.
As hopes the hostage release would take place in time for Christmas dimmed, some of their relatives planned delayed celebrations.
"This is not Christmas Eve for my family," said Gonzalez' daughter, Patricia Perdomo. "Our Christmas Eve will be the day we're reunited ... We're hoping my mom will be with us by Christmas. Only when she's here will we be opening gifts and celebrating."
Betancourt's husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte, hoped his wife could see her two children for Christmas in photographs; he dropped 22,000 of them from a small plane he rented and flew on the weekend over a jungle near Brazil where she's thought to be held.
Each photo was signed "for Ingrid from Juan Carlos." Ingrid Betancourt turns 46 on Christmas Day.
Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo on Monday said there was no obstacle standing in the way of the hostage release, in a new response to opposition Senator Cordoba's comment that military operations against FARC would likely delay the release.
"The government welcomes the release of the three hostages FARC is holding, and statements that the government is launching operations to prevent the release are groundless," Restrepo told reporters.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Monday sent Christmas greetings and a message of hope to the three yet-to-be-freed hostages and all other captives held by FARC.
"I want this Christmas greeting to reach the hostages, along with the hope they will soon be released," Uribe said in a speech to a military unit in northern Magdalena department.
"On this Christmas, I send my greetings to the families of the 750 people FARC has kidnapped over the past 10 years," he said.
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