Brazilian helicopters arrive for Colombia hostages

[Judi Lynn]

Brazilian helicopters arrive for Colombia hostages
Reuters
Saturday, March 27, 2010; 3:59 PM

VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia (Reuters) - Two Brazilian helicopters arrived in Colombia Saturday in the first stage of a mission to pick up two hostage soldiers who FARC guerrillas plan to hand over next week.

The FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, will release two of the 24 police and soldiers it holds to leftist Senator Piedad Cordoba and a Red Cross team who will fly into the country's southern jungles Sunday and again Tuesday.

Pablo Emilio Moncayo, held for more than 12 years, and Josue Daniel Calvo were to be freed a year ago, but the handover was delayed as rebels and President Alvaro Uribe's government disagreed over conditions for their release.

"We'll set off around 7 a.m. tomorrow to the handover point," Cordoba told reporters.

Calvo is set to be released Sunday and Moncayo on Tuesday.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/27/AR2010032702022.html