Central America

At least 13 killed in Guatemala Indigenous land dispute

AFP

At least 13 people were killed in western Guatemala, including women, children and a policeman, in a long-running land dispute between Indigenous villages, police said Saturday.

Police said the confrontation began on Friday and lasted until Saturday in an area located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of the Guatemalan capital by road.

Twelve people “have recently been found dead in the village of Chiquix, located on the side of Nahuala, which is a territorial boundary in the conflict with (the neighboring village) of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan,” the National Civil Police (PNC) said in a statement.

It also reported the death of an officer, and added that “among the dead are children, men and women.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

A “semi-burned” truck was found at the site, as well as a patrol car with bullet holes that is believed to have been attacked, police added.

Two other police officers were wounded, according to the statement, which did not give further details.

The conflict between the two municipalities inhabited by Indigenous Mayans dates back a century, President Alejandro Giammattei said in May last year, shortly after an escalation of violence in the area led him to decree a state of siege.

The differences “have persisted for more than 100 years” and have “claimed the lives of many, many villagers involved in the supposed defense of their lands”, Giammattei said at the time, when he also set up a dialogue to try to resolve the conflict.

Last August, Interior Minister Gendri Reyes made a commitment to the inhabitants of the area to reinforce police presence in both municipalities to prevent conflict.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Law enforcement “reject this type of inhumane, irrational acts,” the police said after the new events.

Central America

Guatemala raises police death toll to nine after gang violence escalates

Guatemalan authorities raised the death toll of police officers killed in a wave of gang violence to nine on Monday, after one officer wounded in the attacks died from his injuries. The violence prompted the government to declare a state of siege.

Criminal gangs launched a series of coordinated attacks against police forces across several parts of the country in retaliation for the government’s recapture of three prisons, where gang leaders had been holding dozens of prison guards hostage. Authorities said the hostages were used to pressure officials into transferring gang leaders to facilities with looser security measures.

Eight police officers were killed on Sunday. Another officer, identified as Frayan Medrano, died Monday in a public hospital after being shot while riding a motorcycle with a colleague, who remains in critical condition, according to police and the Ministry of the Interior.

Central America

Guatemala prison uprisings leave 46 guards held by gangs

Gang members staged riots, took prison guards hostage and set fires on Saturday at several prisons in Guatemala, in protest over the transfer of their leaders to a maximum-security facility and the implementation of new confinement measures, authorities said.

The Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs — both designated as terrorist organizations by the United States and Guatemala — are accused of contract killings, extortion and drug trafficking. Guatemala’s Minister of the Interior, Marco Antonio Villeda, confirmed that the unrest affected three prison facilities.

Villeda said the riots did not result in any fatalities or injuries, but 46 prison guards are currently being held hostage by gang members.

The minister stated that the government is willing to engage in dialogue to secure the release of the detained personnel, regain control of the prison facilities and ensure that inmates submit to internal regulations and the rule of law.

“Dialogue, not negotiation. We are dealing with terrorist structures that are financed and well organized. These are terrorist groups with whom we will not negotiate. The State is acting with legitimacy and in accordance with the law,” Villeda said.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

According to official figures, 18 guards are being held at the Renovación 1 prison and the Preventive Detention Center for Men in Zone 18 — nine at each facility — while another 28 guards are hostages at the Fraijanes 2 prison.

Villeda acknowledged that all three prisons remain under gang control, but stressed that authorities are prioritizing the safety of those being held. “We will guarantee their lives and respect for them. We will take whatever time is necessary to retake control of the prisons,” he said.

The minister also warned that the prison riots are part of what he described as an “orchestrated plan,” which has included road blockades in other parts of the country and the destruction of penitentiary infrastructure and records.

Central America

Bukele warns crime can become a ‘parallel government’ during visit to Costa Rica

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, accompanied by his official delegation, arrived at the site where the new facilities of the Center for the High Containment of Organized Crime (CACCO) are being built. Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves welcomed Bukele, marking the start of the cornerstone-laying ceremony.

“Thank you very much to President Rodrigo Chaves and his cabinet for this invitation,” Bukele said, noting that this was his fourth meeting with the Costa Rican leader in the past two years.

In his address, Bukele stressed that insecurity is a problem that undermines all aspects of society. “When insecurity advances, jobs collapse, education becomes more difficult, and the economy slows down. People stop going out, businesses close early, investment leaves, and tourism disappears,” he said.

The Salvadoran president warned that if crime continues to grow, it can turn into a parallel government—“the dictatorship of gangs, criminals, and drug traffickers.” He added that this situation has not yet occurred in Costa Rica and that the country is still in time to prevent it.