President Petro says a group of police officers and oilfield workers taken hostage during protests in Colombia’s southern province of Coquita has been freed.
Violence erupted on Thursday when residents blockaded the compound of an oil exploration company. They were asking him for help in building roads in the area.
Colombian leader Gustavo Petro had demanded the resignation of 79 officers and nine employees of Emerald Energy.
A police officer and a civilian have already been killed during the unrest.
Announcing the release of the hostages, who were filmed sitting on the floor in a crowded room, Mr Petro called on investigators to find those responsible for the two deaths.
Interior Minister Alfonso Prada said earlier on Friday that he had died from a gunshot wound.
Many of the protesters are rural and indigenous people who want Emerald Energy to build new road infrastructure around the San Vicente del Caguan area.
The oil company did not respond to JEE News request for comment.
Colombian police took to Twitter to pay tribute to the police officer killed in the shootout, who they named as Ricardo Monroy.
“Today we are more united than ever,” he wrote, adding that Mr Monroy “gave his life in the line of duty”.
Colombia’s human rights ombudsman Carlos Camargo – who was present for the mediation – said he had spoken to the protesters and stopped them from throwing petrol bombs at the oil facility.
Protests are common in areas near energy and mining operations in Colombia as communities demand companies build infrastructure, including roads and schools.
Police said a splinter subgroup of Farc rebels that rejected the 2016 peace deal was present in the region and may be fueling the unrest.
Also, Mr Petro unexpectedly published a statement on Twitter on Thursday asking the country’s prosecutor general to launch a criminal investigation into corruption allegations against his own son and brother.
The statement did not elaborate on the charges against his eldest son Nicolás Pietro Burgos and brother Juan Fernando Pietro Urego, but said: “My government will not give benefits to criminals in exchange for bribes”.
