Latest news State of emergency after prisoner mutiny in Guatemala
Following mutinies in three prisons in Guatemala, the government of the Central American country has declared a state of emergency. "We do not negotiate with criminals and do not tolerate terrorist acts. Within the framework of the law, we bring them to their knees with the sword of justice," said President Bernardo Arévalo in a government statement.
19.01.2026, 04:13
SDA
Over the next 30 days, the police and the military are now to take full force against organized crime in the Central American country. Previously, prisoners in three prisons had rebelled and taken around 40 guards hostage. The security forces later stormed the prisons and, according to the authorities, regained control of the prisons.
At least eight police officers killed
In a series of attacks on police officers in the greater Guatemala City area, at least eight officers were killed when suspected gang members opened fire on them. The attacks were a reaction by the criminal gangs to the suppression of the prisoner mutiny, said Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda. Seven suspects had been arrested. Another suspected gang member was killed during a police operation.
Prisoners take guards hostage
Previously, prisoners had taken control of the prisons for hours. Prisoners appeared on the watchtowers and demanded improvements to prison conditions, as seen in a video published by the newspaper "Prensa Libre". Police and military surrounded the prisons in Guatemala City, Escuintla and Quetzaltenango. The prisoners released a pregnant prison officer at the beginning of the uprising.
The uprisings were a consequence of the authorities' decision to strip the imprisoned leaders of criminal gangs of their privileges, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior. Cell phones, weapons and drugs were recently seized during raids in the prisons and illegal buildings in the prisons were destroyed, according to the Central American country's prison administration.
Gang leaders conduct business from prison
In Central America, powerful youth gangs - the so-called maras - control entire neighborhoods and are involved in extortion and drug trafficking. The imprisoned gang leaders often continue to run their criminal business from prison.
