LATAM POLITICS TODAY-Salvadoran government weighs in on court abortion case

Experts say the court's eventual ruling could have far-reaching implications on abortion rights across Latin America. "El Salvador urges the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to resolve the Beatriz case based on the facts and not responding to private agendas," El Salvador's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The latest in Latin American politics today: El Salvador weighs in on high-profile court abortion case

SAN SALVADOR - The government of El Salvador asked an influential regional court to disregard unspecified "private agendas" when ruling on a high-stakes abortion case that has focused international attention on the country's strict ban on the medical procedure. The San Jose-based Inter-American Court of Human Rights this week heard the case of a woman identified as "Beatriz," who was denied termination of a high-risk pregnancy a decade ago. Experts say the court's eventual ruling could have far-reaching implications on abortion rights across Latin America.

"El Salvador urges the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to resolve the Beatriz case based on the facts and not responding to private agendas," El Salvador's foreign ministry said in a statement. Lula 'fine' after pneumonia diagnosis, will travel to China

BRASILIA - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been diagnosed with mild pneumonia and will delay a planned trip to China by a day, leaving on Sunday, the presidential palace and his doctor said. Lula's physician, Roberto Kalil, told Reuters that the president is in good health after undergoing hospital tests on Thursday night and is responding well to antibiotics.

"The president is fine. He has already improved from yesterday to today. The trip on Sunday is maintained," Kalil said after visiting Lula at the presidential palace earlier on Friday. AMLO blasts Blinken, denies gangs control parts of country

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador denied that parts of his country are controlled by drug cartels, responding to recent comments from the top U.S. diplomat. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a congressional hearing this week that it was "fair to say" that parts of the country were controlled by cartels instead of the government, and that the opioid fentanyl coming from Mexico was killing both Americans and Mexicans.

Venezuela's Citgo saga offers some creditors possible relief NEW YORK - A U.S. judge has granted four companies the right to seize shares in the parent of refiner Citgo Petroleum Corp to collect on debts owed by Venezuela, in the event U.S. sanctions on that country are modified.

The decision on Thursday is the latest blow to Venezuela's efforts to avoid a breakup of Citgo, which is owned by state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela and controlled by political opponents of the ruling socialists. UN denounces excessive force against recent Peru protests

A UN committee expressed concern over alleged human rights violations in recent anti-government protests in Peru and condemned the excessive use of force and firearms against demonstrators by security forces. Following the impeachment of President Pedro Castillo on Dec. 7, the Andean country was plunged into a wave of street protests that resulted in the deaths of 67 people in the worst unrest in the South American nation in more than 20 years. (Compiled by Steven Grattan and Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Leslie Adler)

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