Rebels delay hostage rescue
A Venezuelan mission to pick up three hostages held for years by Colombian rebels in jungle camps was delayed because guerrilla leaders had not given the final go-ahead.
After weeks of promising to release two former politicians and the young son born to one of them in captivity, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has not yet revealed their location, Red Cross officials said.
Hugo Chavez, the leftist president of neighboring Venezuela, has led the rescue effort and had hoped to have the hostages freed Thursday.
Chavez sent two helicopters into Colombia, but they remained grounded in the town of Villavicencio at the foot of the Andes mountains.
The Red Cross, which is helping coordinate the rescue, said it needed exact directions and daylight before setting out.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
