Colombia, FARC at impasse despite hostage release

By Hugh Bronstein

BOGOTA (Reuters) - The release of two hostages by Colombia's Marxist rebels increases pressure on President Alvaro Uribe to meet guerrilla demands for freeing more captives, but he will likely resist.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, freed two women politicians on Thursday in a deal brokered by Hugo Chavez, the left-wing president of neighboring Venezuela.

Families of some of the hundreds of other hostages hope this will lead to further breakthroughs. They want Uribe's conservative government to be more flexible in negotiating a swap of captives -- including soldiers, police and politicians -- for jailed rebels fighting a long war that kills thousands of people every year.

But Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said Thursday's release proves there is no need to grant the FARC's key demand for a safe-haven area where armed guerrillas could enter and turn over dozens of high-profile captives.

"This mission showed that a safe haven is not necessary," Santos told Reuters, calling on the FARC to unconditionally free the more than 700 hostages the government says are being held by the four-decade-old guerrilla army.

The impasse over a safe zone leaves dozens of "exchangeable" captives such as French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt in limbo.

In a late-night televised address, an unsmiling Uribe thanked Chavez for organizing the mission but showed no sign of folding to rebel demands.

He instead solemnly read out Betancourt's name along with those of other kidnap victims still in captivity.