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Colombia to prosecute president's son
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Panama president says First Quantum talks in 'final
stretch'
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Cuba blasts U.S. for disregarding evidence on 'Havana
Syndrome'
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Brazil's Lula names ex-police chief to head intelligence
agency
March 3 (Reuters) - The latest in Latin American politics today:
Colombia anti-oil firm protesters' hostages freed BOGOTA - A group of 88 police officers and employees of oil firm Emerald Energy taken hostage in Colombia amid a deadly protest against the company have been freed, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said. On Thursday, a police officer and a civilian were killed during the protest in Caqueta province. Rural and indigenous protesters also took 79 police officers and nine Emerald employees hostage, blocked access to an oil field, and set a fire to demand the company fix roads in the area, authorities said.
Colombia to prosecute president's son BOGOTA - Colombia's attorney general's office said it will begin an investigation into accusations that President Gustavo Petro's oldest son took money from drug traffickers in exchange for including them in his father's peace efforts. Nicolas Petro, a lawmaker in Atlantico province, has said he has had nothing to do with the president's efforts to make peace or surrender deals with rebels and criminal gangs, and called the accusations "unfounded and harmful." The president said in a statement on Thursday that he hopes his brother Juan Fernando Petro, who has denied similar rumors, and Nicolas will both have a chance to prove their innocence.
Panama president says First Quantum talks in 'final stretch' PANAMA CITY - Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo said on Friday talks between his government and Canada's First Quantum Minerals over the operation of a major copper mine were in the final stretch, with only one point still to be resolved. Earlier this week, a lawyer advising the government had said that while two issues were almost resolved, a third issue regarded an "economic aspect" involving tax deductions, which the government said would hurt its income from the mine in times of high output and prices.
Cuba blasts U.S. for years of disregarding evidence on 'Havana Syndrome' HAVANA - Cuba has blasted the United States for taking too long to accept evidence that the ailment "Havana Syndrome" was not likely caused by a foreign enemy, ignoring the science as a pretext for cutting off relations with the Communist-run island. A globe-spanning U.S. intelligence investigation declassified on Wednesday concluded it was "very unlikely" a foreign adversary was responsible for the mysterious sickness, first identified in the Cuban capital of Havana but which has afflicted U.S. diplomats and spies worldwide.
Brazil's Lula appoints former police chief to head intelligence agency
SAO PAULO - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has nominated former Federal Police director-general Luiz Fernando Correa to head the country's Intelligence Agency (Abin), according to a publication by the country's Official Gazette on Friday.
The nomination comes a day after Lula removed Abin from under military control and put it in the hands of his chief of staff. (Compiled by Sarah Morland and Steven Grattan; Editing by Leslie Adler)
