At least seven police officers were killed in Guatemala on Saturday following violent prison riots and coordinated attacks linked to criminal gangs, authorities have confirmed.
The unrest began after inmates associated with the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs demanded the transfer of their leaders to lower-security prisons. When the demands were rejected, violence escalated both inside prisons and across parts of the capital.
Residents expressed shock at the scale of the violence. “It is very regrettable how Guatemala City has woken up,” said local resident Carlos Lopez. Another resident, Manuel Garcia, described the attacks as retaliation by gangs angered by the government’s refusal to grant privileges to imprisoned leaders.
According to Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda, armed attacks were reported across several areas of the Guatemala City metropolitan region, leaving at least seven police officers dead and ten others injured. The violence extended beyond prison facilities, marking one of the deadliest days for law enforcement in recent years.
In response, the government reinforced security deployments on major roads, tightened patrols in affected areas, and suspended classes nationwide as a precautionary measure.
Minister Villeda condemned the attacks as a “cowardly response” by criminal groups to state action, stressing that the government will not negotiate with gangs or grant them special treatment.
Barrio 18 and MS-13 have long been in conflict with the Guatemalan state and are involved in crimes including extortion, contract killings, and drug trafficking. Both groups are officially designated as terrorist organisations by Guatemala and the United States.