On Saturday, Guatemalan security forces launched an operation to regain control of three correctional facilities. Members of the powerful criminal gang Barrio 18 organized coordinated riots, taking at least 46 people hostage, most of whom are guards and one civilian psychologist. Reuters reports this, writes UNN.
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Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda stated at a press conference that the riot is a "direct reaction" to depriving gang leaders of illegal privileges. The main demand of the rebels is the transfer of the group's leader to another institution with better conditions of detention.
Guatemalan authorities have taken a tough stance on the incident:
I am not going to make any deals with any terrorist group. I will not succumb to this blackmail and will not restore their privileges in exchange for them ceasing their actions
The most tense situation remains in the maximum-security prison "Renovación 1" in Escuintla. Police and the army surrounded the area, establishing a dense perimeter. Masked prisoners occupied patrol towers and claim that there are no security guarantees inside the facility.
Currently, there have been no reports of deaths or injuries among the hostages. Authorities have brought additional special forces units, ambulances, and fire trucks to the prisons. This incident has become one of the largest hostage-takings in the country's prison system in recent years.
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