Colombia's ELN exchanges hostage for two captured rebels

Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Colombia's National Liberation Army, or ELN, rebel group freed its second-to-last remaining hostage, former Congressman Odín Sánchez, which will allow peace negotiations to begin.

Sanchez, 62, was released in exchange for two jailed ELN fighters -- a move sanctioned by President Juan Manuel Santos. He was handed over to Colombian authorities in western Colombia's Chocó Department.

The ELN rebels released in the eastern Santander Department are identified as Nixon Cobos and Leivis Valero.

"The pardon and release of Nixon Cobos and Leivis Valero, political prisoners from the ELN who suffer serious health conditions as a result of wounds in combat and the deplorable healthcare provided by the state in their prisons, are being made effective today," the ELN said in a statement. "Our comrades are now recovering their freedom under the bilateral humanitarian agreement, which also gives Mr. Odín Sánchez freedom."

Earlier this week, the ELN announced it acquired another hostage: Colombian soldier Freddy Moreno, who was captured on Jan. 24. The ELN said it is willing to release Moreno.

Peace talks between the ELN rebel group and Santos' administration have been frozen since March over the subject of hostages. The government put forth an ultimatum demanding the ELN release all hostages before peace talks could begin, but the ELN was reluctant to comply.

The Colombian government has not yet suggested peace talks set to begin on Tuesday in Ecuador with the ELN are affected by Moreno's capture.

The ELN, like the FARC rebel group, began as a Marxist-inspired insurgency in the 1960s. It was never as large or as powerful as FARC, but like FARC, its members engaged in drug-trafficking, kidnapping and other illegal activity to fund their campaign against the government.

There are an estimated 2,500 ELN rebels living mostly in Colombia's rural, mountainous areas. More than 220,000 people have died and about 5 million have been internally displaced due to the Colombian conflict, primarily attributed to FARC, since its founding in 1964.