Colombian rebels set to free four lawmakers

By Frank Jack Daniel

CARACAS (Reuters) - Colombian guerrillas will soon free a local lawmaker in addition to three other former politicians the rebels have held hostage for more than five years in jungle camps, France's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Bernard Kouchner, who was in Caracas to speak with President Hugo Chavez about the Venezuelan leader's role in hostage negotiations with Colombian Marxist rebels, did not reveal the identity of the fourth captive to be freed.

Guerrillas recently announced a plan to hand over three former lawmakers to Chavez though gave no details about a fourth captive.

But the wife of Jorge Gechem, a Colombian lawmaker captured in a plane hijacking six years ago, said she had been told her husband would be among those soon to be freed.

Chavez, a leader of Latin America's resurgent left-wing, managed to broker a deal to free two hostages last month. But his involvement fueled tensions with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a White House ally in a region where the Venezuelan wants to counter U.S. influence.

"We spoke about the liberation of hostages by the FARC that will happen in a few days or a few weeks," Kouchner told reporters. "Chavez told us there is a fourth hostage to be released, not just three.

French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt is among dozens of high-profile captives held by the Colombian guerrillas and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has made her release a foreign policy priority.

Recent developments have raised hope for other hostages held by Latin America's oldest rebel insurgency, including Betancourt, who was also kidnapped six years ago, and three U.S. contractors held for five years.