Guatemala declares emergency after deadly prison riots
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has declared a 30-day state of emergency after a surge in violence linked to coordinated prison riots and gang reprisals in the capital.
The move follows a weekend in which gang-affiliated inmates took dozens of guards and staff hostage across three prisons, prompting security forces to launch raids to regain control. Authorities said all hostages were eventually freed, but at least seven police officers were killed in retaliatory attacks soon after, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
The emergency decree temporarily restricts civil liberties and allows security forces to detain and question suspects without prior court approval. It takes effect immediately but still requires legislative approval.
Arevalo condemned the violence in a national address, saying gangs were attempting to intimidate security forces and the public, and declared three days of national mourning.
The unrest began when officials moved to curb privileges for leaders of the Barrio 18 and MS-13 gangs, which were labeled foreign terrorist organizations by Washington in 2025 and later by Guatemala’s Congress. The crackdown included a pre-dawn raid at a maximum-security facility holding Barrio 18 leader Aldo “El Lobo” Duppie, followed by operations at two other prisons.
Officials said the army will continue street deployments to support the police, while the U.S. Embassy lifted a temporary shelter-in-place order issued during the attacks.
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