Yep, this roving reporter is on her way to Caracas to cover Gov. Bill Richardson's meeting with President Hugo Chavez to work at getting hostages released from Colombian rebels.

I'm thrilled to be able to cover this historic trip for the New Mexican. It comes at a time when Chavez is marginalized from much of the rest of the world, and not just because we're jealous of his country's incredible oil supply (and cheap gas) . . . It also comes at an important time for Richardson, as he's trying to figure out his place in the world after dropping his presidential bid. He has denied it,  but the trip makes a strong case that he can be secretary of  state.

My goal is to write as much as I can about what Richardson does on his very short adventure. He is not expecting to secure the release of the hostages on this trip. To be clear, they are in the jungle of Colombia, where he was last month but isn't scheduled to go on this trip. I'm not sure how much access I will have to the Internet, but I'll be filing updates as I can. See The New Mexican for other updates, stories, and (hopefully) photos.

Ciao!