LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Brazilian helicopters have been used due to the neutrality of the nation involved. The helicopters have been involved in previous hostage handovers.

The Leftist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, released the hostages as part of a humanitarian mission led by the International Committee of the Red Cross and Colombians for Peace, an organization made up mostly of women.

The group has been working behind the scenes for many months to make "this humanitarian handover possible."

The rebels have proposed peace talks and have announced a halt to kidnappings for ransom.

Rigoberta Menchú, a Nobel prize-winning human rights advocate from Guatemala was on hand to show support.

"We know that there are several others that have been released this way. And we know that beyond the releases Colombia should have peace. We feel what Colomboans feel now," Menchú said.

FARC was also holding civilians but added that it was not clear how many were still left in the rebels' hands.

"It could be as little as eighty or ninety, but some estimates are that it could be into the hundreds. Nobody really knows what the status of civilian hostages will be," he said.

"There is a real hope that this hostage handover could open up doors of communication and dialogue between the FARC and the Colombian government, but it is unclear whether the government will want to engage in dialogue with the FARC."

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