US Hostages' Families Turn to Chavez

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NY Times/Associated Press

US Hostages' Families Turn to Chavez
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 5, 2007
Filed at 9:00 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Relatives of three U.S. contractors kidnapped more than four years ago by Colombian rebels turned to the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday for help in securing their release.

The three Americans could be included in a possible swap of imprisoned rebels for hostages, said Lynn Stansell, who met with Venezuela's ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez Herrera.

Her son Keith was grabbed in 2003 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC, along with fellow U.S. contractors Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes when their plane crashed during an anti-drug mission.
(snip)

The meeting with the ambassador was spurred by last week's efforts by Chavez to help broker an exchange between the FARC, which holds dozens of high-profile hostages including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, and the Colombian government, which holds hundreds of imprisoned rebels.




Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-US-Colombia-Hostages.html