President of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo has declared a state of emergency in the whole country over the next 30 days after a sudden spike in the violence instigated by organized prison riots and gang retaliation. It is determined following a chaotic weekend that had been characterized by riots in various prisons and fatal assaults on security agencies.
The crisis started with the inmates in three prisons taking dozens of guards and personnel members as hostages in protest against the increased restrictions associated with the influential gang leaders. One of the victims was Aldo Duppie who was one of the leaders of the notorious Barrio 18 gang. The officials claimed that the new steps were a part of a larger crackdown campaign to eradicate the gang influence within prisons.
Raids by police and army forces resulted in the facilities being retaken with all hostages being finally liberated. Later President Arévalo confirmed that sanity had been restored in the prisons. Nonetheless, the violence soon got on the streets. On what in official terms could be characterized as retaliatory strikes, gang members attacked law enforcement staff killing at least seven police officers and injuring approximately ten others in and around Guatemala City.
Appealing to the country Arévalo criticized the murderings saying that the attacks were aimed at terrorizing the security forces and the people. He promised that the government would not give up the war on gangs and that the state would not yield to what he termed as regime of terror.
The state of emergency decree gives greater authority to security agencies and provides temporary limitations of some civil rights. The president also declared three days of nationwide mourning of the slain officers, in conjunction with the declaration. Defence Minister Henry Sáenz confirmed that the army would remain on the street to assist the police activities.
Schools in certain regions were also shut down and security increased in the country as a reaction to the unrest. The US embassy in Guatemala also issued a temporary shelter-in-place order on its staff members, but things slowly normalised.
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