Leftist rebels freed four Colombian hostages from their "living death" in the jungle on Wednesday in a victory for Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez, who brokered the deal.

Venezuelan helicopters painted with Red Cross logos swooped into dense jungle, picked up the four lawmakers - all taken by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, more than six years ago - and flew them to Venezuela.

"I was the living dead but today ... I am happy, lucky, radiant," ex-hostage Gloria Polanco said. She carried long-stemmed flowers for her three children, adding between sobs, "It's the only thing I can take from the jungle."

The freed hostages appeared generally in sound health, although one of the men, who had suffered heart problems, looked gaunt.

They also warned that the highest-profile of the dozens of captives left behind - Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian woman politician, and three US anti-drugs contractors - was suffering from health problems and low morale.

Betancourt, a former Colombian presidential candidate whose case is a policy priority for the French government, is mistreated, kept in chains, has a serious liver problem and is mentally exhausted, they said.

Chavez, who welcomed the ex-hostages at a red-carpet, honor-guard ceremony in his palace, appealed at the televised event to the FARC's chief to move Betancourt to an area where she might receive better treatment and eventually be freed.

The release is an important regional player who leads a growing group of socialist leaders in Latin America and often bickers with US-backed Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

Venezuelan officials said Wednesday's handover raised hopes for a broader deal to free dozens more hostages the FARC wants to swap for imprisoned rebels.

Speaking yesterday on a visit to South Africa, French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Wednesday's operation and called for the rapid liberation of all hostages.

Sarkozy says he is ready if necessary to go personally to Colombia to try to secure the release of ailing Ingrid Betancourt.

The FARC last month released two politicians in a deal also brokered by Chavez in the first such breakthrough in years.

Agencies

(China Daily 02/29/2008 page12)