Guatemala’s president has declared a state of emergency after a surge of violence over the weekend, during which gang members took dozens of hostages in three prisons and killed at least seven police officers in the capital in what authorities described as retaliatory attacks
Guatemala’s president has declared a state of emergency after a surge of violence over the weekend, during which gang members took dozens of hostages in three prisons and killed at least seven police officers in the capital in what authorities described as retaliatory attacks.
President Bernardo Arévalo issued a 30-day emergency decree on Sunday, suspending certain civil liberties and granting security forces expanded powers to arrest and question individuals without prior judicial authorisation.
The order took immediate effect but still requires approval by Guatemala’s Congress.
In a nationwide address, Arévalo said the killings were intended to intimidate security forces and the public into abandoning efforts to dismantle criminal gangs. “They will not succeed,” he said.
The president confirmed that all hostages had been released and announced three days of national mourning for the victims.
The unrest began on Saturday after prison authorities moved to curb the privileges of senior gang leaders, including Aldo Duppie, the imprisoned head of the Barrio 18 gang.
Gang-affiliated inmates seized 46 prison guards and staff across three facilities in and around Guatemala City, including a maximum-security prison where Duppie known as “El Lobo” is held.
Security forces regained control of the prisons early on Sunday following coordinated raids by police and the military. Duppie was later photographed in custody wearing a blood-stained shirt.
Soon after the operations, a series of attacks targeted police officers in Guatemala City, killing at least seven and injuring 10 others, according to authorities.
Some media reports put the death toll at eight officers, with one suspected gang member also killed.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda said the attacks appeared to be gang reprisals in response to intensified state action against organised crime.
Defence Minister Henry Sáenz said the army would remain deployed on the streets to continue the crackdown.
Barrio 18 and its rival gang, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), were designated as “foreign terrorist organisations” by the administration of US President Donald Trump in September, a move echoed by Guatemala’s Congress a month later.
The US Embassy in Guatemala City lifted a shelter-in-place order for its staff on Sunday after authorities restored control following what it described as coordinated armed attacks on police in several parts of the capital.
Join us on our WhatsApp Platform @KOIKIMEDIA NEWS YOUR PAGE
koikimedia Bringing the World 🌎 Closer to Your Doorstep