Guatemala's President Declares 30-Day State of Emergency Amid Rising Gang Violence
President Bernardo Arevalo has declared a state of emergency in Guatemala as the country struggles with rising gang violence and prison riots. The emergency order, which restricts civil liberties, allows security officers to arrest or question individuals without prior court approval.
The decision comes after a weekend of violent clashes between gangs and authorities, resulting in at least seven police officers killed and dozens of hostages taken across three prisons. According to sources, the gangs targeted police officers as a form of reprisal for authorities quelling riots that began on Saturday when administrators moved to limit privileges for gang leaders.
The president said these murders were carried out with the intention of terrorizing security forces and the population in order to deter them from continuing their fight against gangs. However, Arevalo vowed to succeed, stating that "they will fail."
President Arevalo stated that all hostages had been freed, and a state of mourning has been declared for three days.
The riots began when authorities moved to limit privileges for gang leaders. The imprisoned leader of Guatemala's Barrio 18 gang, Aldo Duppie, was among those targeted. He is known as El Lobo or The Wolf.
In response to the crisis, security forces launched a lightning raid on one of the prisons early Sunday morning followed by raids on two more facilities.
Following the raids, retaliatory attacks began on police officers, killing at least seven and injuring 10 according to authorities. Some media outlets reported that eight police officers were killed while one suspected gang member was also reportedly killed in the clashes.
The interior minister stated that the deaths of the police officers are attributed to reprisals from the gangs "in response to actions being taken by the Guatemalan state against them."
President Bernardo Arevalo has declared a state of emergency in Guatemala as the country struggles with rising gang violence and prison riots. The emergency order, which restricts civil liberties, allows security officers to arrest or question individuals without prior court approval.
The decision comes after a weekend of violent clashes between gangs and authorities, resulting in at least seven police officers killed and dozens of hostages taken across three prisons. According to sources, the gangs targeted police officers as a form of reprisal for authorities quelling riots that began on Saturday when administrators moved to limit privileges for gang leaders.
The president said these murders were carried out with the intention of terrorizing security forces and the population in order to deter them from continuing their fight against gangs. However, Arevalo vowed to succeed, stating that "they will fail."
President Arevalo stated that all hostages had been freed, and a state of mourning has been declared for three days.
The riots began when authorities moved to limit privileges for gang leaders. The imprisoned leader of Guatemala's Barrio 18 gang, Aldo Duppie, was among those targeted. He is known as El Lobo or The Wolf.
In response to the crisis, security forces launched a lightning raid on one of the prisons early Sunday morning followed by raids on two more facilities.
Following the raids, retaliatory attacks began on police officers, killing at least seven and injuring 10 according to authorities. Some media outlets reported that eight police officers were killed while one suspected gang member was also reportedly killed in the clashes.
The interior minister stated that the deaths of the police officers are attributed to reprisals from the gangs "in response to actions being taken by the Guatemalan state against them."
Guatemala's state of emergency is a slippery slope. Can't have security forces hunting down gangs without some checks & balances 
, 30 days state of emergency? sounds like they're trying to crack down hard, but what's gonna happen after that? just more violence and ppl gettin taken away without trial 
. its all about the gangs and security forces, but whats about the ppl caught in the middle? guatemala needs a better solution than this 
. I mean, can't we all just get along? 
It's like they say, when you add fuel to the fire, everyone gets burned 
. These gangs are like super-organized crime syndicates or something, it's crazy how they manage to pull off these coordinated attacks. I guess some people really do think that violence is the best way to get what they want 
. And now, the authorities are like, "oh no, we have to restrict civil liberties to keep everyone safe" 
. It's a never-ending cycle of retaliation and chaos. But hey, at least the hostages are free, right? 
Guatemala's president just declared a 30-day emergency and it sounds like things are getting super out of control. gangs are basically taking over and terrorizing police officers, it's like they're above the law or something 
. The fact that at least 7 officers were killed and dozens were taken hostage is just horrific 
. And what really gets me is that this all started because authorities tried to limit privileges for gang leaders... I mean, isn't that what we're supposed to do to stop crime? 
it's like they're pushing back against the system or something 
This is so sad 
️ the situation in Guatemala sounds super tough 
. Gang violence is a huge problem in many countries, but it's especially devastating when innocent people get caught in the crossfire 
. The fact that police officers are getting killed and hostages are being taken away from their homes is just heartbreaking 
.
, and President Arevalo is vowing to take action against the gangs 
.
, gang violence and prison riots... like, how can you even plan something like this? 
it's always the same story, innocent people getting caught in the middle. I don't get why they're not just talking to these gangs leaders, like, negotiate or something? 
i heard they freed all the hostages though so that's a good note to end on. anyway just thinking about this is giving me anxiety 
. And what about the hostages? How many were really freed and how many are still trapped in there? Transparency is key here... 
. And now they're arresting people without prior court approval? It sounds like a slippery slope to me 
. What's the point of limiting privileges for gang leaders if it's gonna lead to more violence and arrests? 
.
, guatemala is going through a really tough time. i feel for the innocent people caught in the middle of all this gang violence. it's heartbreaking to hear that police officers were killed and hostages were taken. 
what can we do? 
