Guatemala declares nationwide state of siege: video
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has declared a 30-day state of siege across the country following a sharp escalation in gang-related violence, including prison unrest and attacks on police that left at least seven officers dead.
The measure was announced after members of the Barrio 18 and MS-13 gangs partially took control of three prisons, Renovación I, the Zone 18 Preventive Detention Centre and Fraijanes 2, seizing 46 hostages and demanding the transfer of their leaders to lower-security facilities. Authorities said joint operations by the interior and defence ministries restored full control of the prisons and freed all captives.
Arévalo said the violence was an attempt to spread fear and destabilise the country, adding that gangs later retaliated by attacking police in several regions. He also declared three days of national mourning for the fallen officers, while insisting the state of siege, which expands police and military powers, is aimed at restoring security without disrupting daily life or state institutions.
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