LATAM POLITICS TODAY-Two of four Americans kidnapped by gunmen in Mexico found dead

The latest in Latin American politics today: Two of four Americans kidnapped by gunmen in Mexico found dead

MEXICO CITY - Two of four Americans kidnapped by gunmen on Friday after they drove into northeastern Mexico have been found dead, and the two survivors have returned to the United States, U.S. and Mexican officials said on Tuesday. Americo Villarreal, governor of Tamaulipas, the border state which the four entered from Texas, told a news conference two of the U.S. citizens and a Mexican woman had died during the kidnapping ordeal.

The kidnappings put a harsh spotlight on concerns over gang violence in Mexico and sparked angry reactions from some U.S. politicians critical of crime-fighting in Mexico. Colombia, Ecuador working to prevent Indigenous abuse by armed groups

BOGOTA - The human rights ombudsmen of Colombia and Ecuador launched a joint alert system to prevent abuses by illegal armed groups from affecting Awa Indigenous communities that live along the countries' shared border. The alert system will inform military leaders and government officials in both countries of potential attacks and human rights abuses in a bid to prevent them, the ombudsmen said in a press conference in Colombia's capital Bogota.

Argentina revokes authorization for Brazilian flight to Falklands BUENOS AIRES - The Argentine government withdrew authorization for a flight from Brazil's most populous city, Sao Paulo, to the Falkland Islands after an ongoing dispute with the United Kingdom over the islands' sovereignty heated up.

The route, with a layover in Cordoba, Argentina, used to be run by LATAM Airlines and had never resumed after being suspended by the United Kingdom in 2020. "The decision was reached after presenting numerous initiatives to the United Kingdom to achieve greater connectivity between the Argentine mainland and the Malvinas Islands," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Last week, Argentina asked to restart negotiations with the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the islands. Mexico president says will go to panel if no GMO corn agreement

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the country would go to a dispute panel under a regional trade deal if there is no agreement during consultations with the United States over Mexico's plans to regulate genetically modified corn. U.S. officials have said Mexican plans put some $5 billion of corn exports to Mexico at risk and could hurt biotechnology innovation, but Mexico's government has described Washington's disagreement with its policies as politically motivated, adding its position is compatible with the deal's rules.

Guaido, former Venezuela interim president, to run in primary CARACAS - Venezuelan opposition party Popular Will said that Juan Guaido, once the most visible global face of the country's opposition, will be its candidate in an October presidential primary.

Guaido, a 39-year-old industrial engineer, headed an interim government beginning in January 2019, before being replaced as head of the opposition legislature at the end of 2022. (Compiled by Sarah Morland and Kylie Madry; Editing by Richard Chang and Sandra Maler)

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