The Colombian Armed Forces Thursday said they would keep doing "their regular efforts" to attain the release of all the people kidnapped by guerrilla groups, as the Colombian government late Wednesday decided to terminate Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's mediation for such purposes.

The Colombian Armed Forces' major concern is that all of the hostages held by the rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) can "live in freedom," Thursday in Bogotá said acting Defense Minister General Freddy Padilla de León.

Padilla de León, as the commander general of the Armed Forces, disclosed a communiqué in connection with Colombian President Álvaro Uribe's move to put an end to his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez's role as a mediator to agree with the FARC on a humanitarian swap of hostages for FARC troops who are in jail.

"The Military and Police Forces do respect the decisions adopted by the National Government," Padilla de León said, reminding that "the President of the Republic is the Supreme Commander of the Colombian Armed Forces."

Padilla de León added that Uribe designated High Commissioner for Peace Luis Carlos Restrepo to deal with all of the matters concerning the humanitarian swap.

"Given the circumstances, Uribe named the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fernando Araújo to deal with the international issues related to the process," he added.