Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos postponed peace talks with the ElN rebels just hours before they were due to open, insisting they first release an ex-lawmaker being held hostage. Santos said he remained committed to making peace but would not budge from his demand for the ElN to first free former congressman Odin Sanchez “safe and sound”. The Government’s top peace negotiator, Juan Camilo Restrepo, later said an operation was under way for the leftist guerrillas to hand Sanchez over to the Red Cross.