Fate uncertain of mission to free hostages

VILLAVICENCIO, COLOMBIA (CNN) - A mission to free three hostages held by leftist rebels in Colombia stalled Monday, with the rebels and Colombian authorities trading blame for the delay.

On Monday night, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who organized the mission, said he remained hopeful that the operation would succeed despite major obstacles that surfaced earlier in the day.

The leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC for its Spanish acronym, had planned to release three hostages as part of a deal Chavez brokered. Yet they reversed course Monday and said that Colombian military operations in the area made a release impractical.