- By Antoinette Radford & Sam Hancock
- BBC news
A group of police and oilfield workers held hostage during protests in Colombia’s southern province of Caquetá has been released, President Petro said.
Violence erupted last Thursday after residents blocked the compound of the oil exploration company. They asked for its help in building roads in that area.
Colombian leader Gustavo Petro called for the release of 79 officials and nine employees of Emerald Energy.
A policeman and a civilian were killed during the riot.
Announcing the release of the hostages, who were filmed sitting in a cramped room on the floor, Mr Petro called on investigators to find those responsible for the two deaths.
Interior Minster Alfonso Prada said earlier on Friday that they were killed by gunfire.
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 when approached by Reuters news agency for comment.
The Colombian police gave a tribute on Twitter to the policeman who was killed in the encounter, whom they named as Ricardo Monroy.
“Today we are more united than ever,” they wrote, adding that Mr Monroy had “dedicated his life in the line of duty”.
Colombia’s human rights ombudsman Carlos Camargo – who was on site to mediate – said he spoke to the protesters and stopped them from throwing petrol bombs at the oil facility.
Protests in areas near Colombia’s energy and mining operations are common as communities demand companies build infrastructure, including roads and schools.
Police say a dissident subgroup of Farc rebels who rejected the 2016 peace deal are in the region and may be inciting unrest.
Mr Petro on Thursday unexpectedly published a statement on Twitter asking the country’s prosecutor general to conduct a criminal investigation into corruption allegations involving his own son and brother.
The statement did not reveal the accusations against his eldest son Nicolas Petro Burgos, and brother Juan Fernando Petro Urrego, but it said: “My government does not give benefits to criminals in exchange for bribes”.