LATAM POLITICS TODAY-Peru ministers resign as at least 16 killed in protests

Lopez Obrador has called Castillo the rightful president of Peru, even as he insists his foreign policy is dictated by non-intervention in the affairs of other states. First Quantum mulling all legal options after Panama orders halt at flagship mine Canada-based miner First Quantum Minerals said it is going through "all available legal means" after the Panamanian government ordered it to pause operations at its flagship copper mine over a payments dispute. The Cobre Panama mine is considered the largest private investment in the Central American country, accounting for roughly 3.5% of its gross domestic product.

The latest in Latin American politics today:

Peru ministers resign as at least 16 killed in protests LIMA - Pressure rose on Peru's fledgling government as two cabinet members resigned following deadly protests that have rocked the country since former President Pedro Castillo's removal from office and arrest last week.

Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez announced their resignations on Twitter, citing the deaths of individuals during the unrest. Peru's Congress also rejected on Friday a proposed constitutional reform that would have brought presidential elections forward to December 2023, one of the key demands of the protesters.

Protests continued on Friday, with key roads blockaded and five airports forced to close. At least 16 people have been killed in the protests so far, authorities have said. Mexican president slams Peru's state of emergency, blasts U.S. official

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador criticized a state of emergency imposed in Peru to tackle violent protests and slammed the U.S. ambassador to Lima for meeting the South American country's new leader. Lopez Obrador has called Castillo the rightful president of Peru, even as he insists his foreign policy is dictated by non-intervention in the affairs of other states.

First Quantum mulling all legal options after Panama orders halt at flagship mine Canada-based miner First Quantum Minerals said it is going through "all available legal means" after the Panamanian government ordered it to pause operations at its flagship copper mine over a payments dispute.

The Cobre Panama mine is considered the largest private investment in the Central American country, accounting for roughly 3.5% of its gross domestic product. Panama's government had on Thursday ordered First Quantum to pause operations after it missed a deadline to finalize a deal that would have increased annual payments to the government to at least $375 million.

Mexican president condemns gun attack on prominent journalist MEXICO CITY - President Lopez Obrador condemned an apparent assassination attempt on a prominent journalist and critic of the president who said assailants had opened fire on him while he was driving his car.

Television and radio presenter Ciro Gomez Leyva said on Twitter two unidentified people on a motorcycle shot at him when he was some 200 meters (660 feet) from his home Thursday night, and shared images of bullet impacts on the vehicle. Gomez said he was still alive because of the vehicle's armor, and he was back on the air on his morning radio show on Friday.

Mexico says hopes to reach agreement on U.S. corn in January MEXICO CITY - Mexico and the United States aim to reach an agreement in January over a pending Mexican ban on imports of genetically modified corn, Mexico's foreign ministry said after officials held talks in Washington.

Mexico has a controversial presidential decree that is set to ban GM corn and the herbicide glyphosate in 2024. U.S. officials have threatened to take action under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), arguing that the decree will harm U.S. farmers. (Compiled by Sarah Morland and Steven Grattan Editing by Alistair Bell)

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