Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo has declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency after criminal gangs murdered eight police officers and held dozens of people hostage in various correctional facilities.
The drastic measure comes after authorities accused gang-affiliated inmates of orchestrating coordinated attacks across the country.
Security forces successfully regained control of three prisons – Renovacion I, Fraijanes II, and Preventivo – where 46 people, including 45 guards and a psychiatrist, had been held since Saturday morning. The inmates had reportedly demanded that gang leaders be moved to lower-security prisons.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda characterized the killings as an act of “terrorism” carried out in response to the government’s crackdown on organized crime. While the rescue operations were completed without further casualties, the preceding violence left eight officers dead and ten others wounded, with one suspected gang member killed.
As part of the emergency decree, which requires approval from the opposition-led Congress, the right of assembly is suspended, and authorities are permitted to arrest and interrogate individuals without a court order. In a show of force, the interior ministry released footage of the arrest of Aldo Dupie, known as “El Lobo” (The Wolf), the alleged leader of the notorious Barrio 18 gang.
In response to the volatility, the US embassy in Guatemala has advised its staff to shelter in place, and the government ordered all schools to remain closed on Monday.
With a homicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants reported in 2025, the Guatemalan government maintains that the army will remain on the streets to continue dismantling criminal groups like Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
