Colombia has offered to suspend the sentences of jailed FARC members if the rebels free their hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

Tens of thousands of Colombians and Venezuelans attended a free concert Sunday, held on a bridge linking the two countries. It was organized by Grammy-winning rock artist Juanes to celebrate the end of the diplomatic crisis between Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and to further improve peaceful relations within the region.

The Presidents of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela have settled a weeklong crisis that was starting to get close to war. The dispute began when Colombian forces attacked FARC rebels inside Ecuador.

For the past few months, the presidents of Colombia and Venezuela have been engaged in a war of words, harshly criticizing each other. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez even hinted at the possibility of armed conflict in comments made in mid-January. Yet the two neighboring nations are closely tied commercially -- they are for each other the second largest trading partner after the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has led a congressional delegation to Colombia to study a proposed trade deal. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the Bush administration has been pressing Congress to pass the deal.

The promised release of three Colombian hostages held by FARC rebels has again been delayed. Two helicopters of the International Red Cross have not been given permission to fly at night.

Venezuela's fiery leader Hugo Chavez is barrelling towards a cliffhanger vote on Sunday; a referendum on sweeping constitutional changes - including measures to bolster his power - that has fractured the electorate into two hostile camps.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and two of his South American counterparts have opened a gas pipeline between Colombia and Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he has agreed to meet with Colombian leftist rebels to try to break a deadlock between the rebels and the Colombian government, and free rebel-held hostages.

Russian law enforcement and Interpol officials said Tuesday they arrested a 45-year-old retired Israeli Army colonel wanted in Colombia for terrorism at Moscow's Domodedovo airport.

The World Bank’s Board of Directors today (August 23) approved a US$30 million loan to support Colombia’s efforts to increase rural competitiveness and build up entrepreneurship in poor rural communities through partnership schemes with the commercial private sector.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is denying accusations by a fugitive drug lord that his 2002 election campaign was partially funded by far-right paramilitaries and cocaine traffickers.