Colombia 's largest rebel group has freed some of the world's longest-held hostages, ending more than a decade of jungle captivity for 10 police officers and soldiers. The captives were released by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, in a long-planned operation overseen by the Red Cross, the Brazilian government and a former Colombian senator, Piedad Cordoba. President Juan Manuel Santos called the release "a step in the right direction, a very important step"...

The Colombian government has forbidden the presence of outsiders during a FARC hostage handover next week, reported local media Wednesday. Colombians For Peace, an NGO that negotiates with the guerrillas and is participating in the handover, had wanted to invite various dignataries, including the vice-president of Ecuador and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rigoberta Menchu. Bringing outsiders to look on would be highly inappropriate, said Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin. "We do not...

Colombian troops on Monday killed 32 leftist FARC rebels in a remote jungle region, President Juan Manuel Santos said, the second blow to the drug-funded group in less than a week. The dawn attack in the central province of Meta takes the total number of FARC rebels killed by the armed forces to 65 after an attack last Wednesday killed 33 rebels who were resting in the northern plains region of Arauca. "This shows that our armed forces continue their offensive and are not going to...

Colombia's government is criticizing a public event that was held in Venezuela's capital honoring the late leader of Colombia's largest rebel group. Colombia's Foreign Ministry expressed "indignation" over the tribute marking the fourth anniversary of rebel leader Manuel Marulanda's death. A group of radical leftists organized the event on Saturday in Caracas' 23 de Enero slum, where there is a bust of Marulanda. There was no immediate response from Venezuelan government officials. ...

Community broadcaster Argemiro Cárdenas Agudelo was shot dead in cold blood by a hired killer on a motorcycle yesterday in Dosquebradas, in Risaralda department. A politician and former mayor of the town, he was also director and manager of the community radio station Metro Radio Estéreo and for the past 14 years had also contributed to other stations. Since 2010, he had been running Red Radial Cafetera radio and was affiliated to the World Association of Community Radio...

Iran's president on Tuesday lauded his country's newly launched Spanish-language satellite TV channel, saying it would deal a blow to "dominance seekers" - remarks that were an apparent jab at the U.S. and the West. The launch is Tehran's latest effort to reach out to friendly governments in Latin America and follows Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's four-nation tour of the region earlier in January, which included stops in Cuba and visits to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador. It also comes...

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, (2002-2010) asked authorities to prevent rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) from taking "refuge" in Venezuela, and follow instead the same path as ETA, the armed Basque separatist movement. Uribe expressed this opinion in a message posted on Twitter. The former Colombian Head of State highlighted France's cooperation with Spain in the fight against the Basque terrorist group ETA, and compared this policy...

Relatives bid farewell to former FARC hostages executed by FARC troops during a military raid (Photo: AFP) Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said that Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez acknowledged some years ago that he was aware of the presence of guerrilla members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Venezuela. Chávez would have told him that he would not order their capture because he (Chávez) wanted to "make a contribution to...

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombia's main rebel group executed four of its longest-held captives during combat Saturday between guerrillas and soldiers searching for the men, the government said. A fifth captive fled into the jungle and survived. President Juan Manuel Santos called the killing of a soldier and three police officers "a crime against humanity" and dismissed any suggestions that Colombia's armed forces might be responsible. "They were held hostage for between 12 and...

Several Venezuelan military officials are among the "international contacts" of Rodrigo Londoño Echeverry aka "Timochenko," the newly appointed leader of guerrilla organization Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to a report released by Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. The Colombian daily said in an article that in 2003 "Timochenko" reported on "agreements" between the FARC and the Venezuelan army to "provide...