9 Guatemalan police officers dead after gang attacks
ABC News • • world
Key Points:
- The death toll from suspected gang attacks on Guatemalan police rose to nine following coordinated prison riots and subsequent assaults on law enforcement in Guatemala City.
- President Bernardo Arévalo declared a 30-day state of emergency, restricting freedoms such as movement, demonstrations, and carrying weapons, and granting police expanded powers including arrests without cause.
- The violence began when inmates seized control of three prisons, taking 43 guards hostage and demanding privileges, leading to police operations to regain control and retaliatory attacks by gangs.
- The U.S. Embassy condemned the attacks, urged caution, and reaffirmed support for Guatemalan security forces, while Congress had previously labeled major gangs as terrorist organizations with harsher penalties.
- Nationwide school closures and
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