By Zoila Palma: Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has declared a state of emergency in two municipalities in western Guatemala following a series of coordinated armed attacks that left at least five people dead.
The measure, announced Sunday, applies to Nahualá and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán in the department of Sololá and comes after armed men attacked a military post and a police station, blocked roads, and hijacked buses over the weekend.
Arévalo said criminal gangs linked to extortion and drug trafficking are attempting to force security forces to withdraw in order to seize control of the area, ABC reports.
He confirmed that the 15-day state of emergency—the first under his administration—will allow authorities to reinforce security operations. Interior Minister Marco Villeda reported five fatalities, although police officials earlier said six people, including a soldier, may have been killed.
The president presented images showing heavily armed attackers wearing camouflage, helmets, and bulletproof vests firing weapons near a busy roadway.
While the affected municipalities have a long history of territorial disputes, Arévalo stressed that this violence was a targeted assault on state security forces rather than a clash between communities.
The post International News: Guatemala declares State of Emergency after armed attacks kill 5 people appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has declared a state of emergency in two municipalities in western Guatemala following a series of coordinated armed attacks that left at least five people dead. The measure, announced Sunday, applies to Nahualá and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán in the department of Sololá and comes after armed men attacked
The post International News: Guatemala declares State of Emergency after armed attacks kill 5 people appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.