Central America

6.0 magnitude earthquake shakes El Salvador

Photo: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales

| By AFP |

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake shook El Salvador on Thursday night, with no initial reports of casualties or material damage, Salvadoran authorities said.

The tremor was registered at 10:26 pm local time (0426 GMT Friday) and its epicenter was located 37 kilometers (22 miles) off the country’s southern coast, near the town of Mizata in La Libertad region, the environment ministry said.

President Nayib Bukele said there had been no reports of damage from the armed forces or police. “Nothing new on the coast. No damage to main highways. It seems the earthquake did not cause any damage. Thank god,” he said on Twitter.

The earthquake was also felt in neighbouring Guatemala, according to that country’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, which reported no people affected or damage there. The tremor was felt in at least 14 departments of El Salvador, per reports on social media, but the environment ministry said it was “more noticeable” in coastal areas.

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In the capital San Salvador, the tremor caused alarm, with people leaving their homes and taking to the streets in many residential areas, according to local press reports.

Salvadoran Interior Minister Juan Carlos Bidegain said that while there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, “the whole territory continues to be monitored.” The government added that “all the institutions” of the system “are active” to address any emergencies resulting from the earthquake.

The environment ministry said that at least six aftershocks had been registered following the initial earthquake, with epicenters in the same area. “The strongest aftershock has been with a magnitude of 3.8, so we call the population to be attentive,” said Environment Minister Fernando Lopez at a press conference.

The minister ruled out the possibility of a tsunami alert for coastal areas of the country after the earthquake. He did, however, warn that more aftershocks could follow.

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Central America

Guatemala’s president rules out negotiations with inmates after prison riots

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo stressed that his administration will not negotiate with inmates nor restore concessions granted under previous governments, insisting that the Executive’s priority is to maintain control of the prison system and restore order in detention centers.

Arévalo said one of the key measures implemented by authorities was the blocking of mobile phone signals inside prisons, an action he described as decisive in regaining control of the Renovación 1 penitentiary.

The riots reported at Renovación 1, Fraijanes 2, and the Preventive Detention Center for Men in Zone 18 of Guatemala City were aimed at pressuring the state to recover privileges that had been recently revoked, Arévalo said during a press conference held Wednesday at the National Palace of Culture.

The president explained that inmates were seeking to reinstate special detention conditions, including air conditioning, king-size beds, and internet access, benefits that he said were eliminated by the current administration.

“They attempted to extort the state in order to return to that system of privileges, but they failed,” Arévalo emphasized.

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Central America

Mazatenango Carnival cancelled amid State of Siege in Guatemala

The municipal government of Mazatenango, in the department of Suchitepéquez, Guatemala, has cancelled the city’s traditional Carnival as a security measure aimed at protecting visitors and residents.

The decision was announced on Tuesday through the municipality’s official Facebook page and comes as a preventive action amid the state of siege declared by the national government last Sunday.

The Mazatenango Carnival, one of the country’s most emblematic festivities, boasts more than 140 years of traditionand typically draws large crowds from across Guatemala and neighboring regions. Its program usually includes parades of floats, the traditional “Rabbit Race,” street dancing and live music, concerts, and cultural events in the Central Plaza.

According to the official statement, the cancellation responds to the current security context and the restrictions associated with the state of siege, prioritizing public safety.

Municipal authorities clarified that the scheduled concert by La Arrolladora Banda El Limón will still take place separately and will be the sole responsibility of the private production company, independent of the cancelled carnival activities.

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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.