AUC rebels released, 550 kilometers northeast of the capital,  three Americans that had earlier been captured by leftist rebels. The AUC said it freed the Americans from the leftists in a recent battle.

Colombia is considered the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with 114 having been killed since 1989. Some 97 percent of these murders went unpunished.

The national police are preparing a force of 7,222 men to retake 157 towns and cities that have, over the last few years, been virtually abandoned to rebel control.