Chavez launches hostage mission

---

VILLAVICENCIO,(Colombia), Dec 29 (Agencies): A sensitive mission to retrieve three hostages from the rebel-held jungle this weekend entered a key phase as two helicopters sent by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Colombia. "The operation has begun. With these two helicopters goes great hope," Chavez said Friday as the two Russian-made MI-172 helicopters took off bearing Red Cross insignia and Venezuelan flags. "We're going to get those three people in the coming days."
Wearing the red beret and fatigues of his paratrooper days, Chavez was accompanied by American filmmaker Oliver Stone and a group of international observers to see the helicopters off.