Colombia's Farc rebels will soon free four politicians they have held hostage for more than five years, France's foreign minister said yesterday.
Bernard Kouchner was speaking in Caracas after talks with President Hugo Chavez about the Venezuelan leader's role in hostage negotiations with the Marxist paramilitary group.
Farc recently announced a plan to hand over three former lawmakers to Mr Chavez though gave no details about a fourth captive.
But the wife of Jorge Gechem, a Colombian politician captured in a plane hijacking six years ago, said she had been told her husband would be among those soon to be freed.
Mr Chavez managed to broker a deal to free two hostages last month. But his involvement sparked tensions with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a White House ally in a region where the Venezuelan wants to counter US influence.
French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt is among dozens of high-profile captives held by Farc in jungle camps.