By Zoila Palma: Days after suspected gang members killed 10 Guatemalan police officers, the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC) began using new powers granted under a 30-day state of emergency to target the Barrio 18 gang in the north of the capital.
Dozens of police and soldiers patrolled Zone 18, a neighborhood long dominated by gang activity, checking identification, searching motorists, and detaining suspects.
President Bernardo Arévalo said that within the first 48 hours of the emergency, 293 people had been detained, including 23 gang members.
Zone 18 has been a hotspot for violence, with 126 homicides reported there last year alone.
Police described the area as a “red zone” where gangs recruit children, extort businesses, and carry out executions.
Over the weekend, coordinated riots in 3 prisons and subsequent attacks on police around the capital escalated tensions, prompting Congress to approve Arévalo’s emergency measures, which allow authorities to detain individuals suspected of gang activity without a judge’s order and restrict movement and assembly.
Arévalo emphasized that the state of emergency is aimed at confronting criminal networks head-on, drawing inspiration from El Salvador’s recent anti-gang campaign under President Nayib Bukele.
The post International News: Guatemala police in action during State of Emergency appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Days after suspected gang members killed 10 Guatemalan police officers, the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC) began using new powers granted under a 30-day state of emergency to target the Barrio 18 gang in the north of the capital. Dozens of police and soldiers patrolled Zone 18, a neighborhood long dominated by gang
The post International News: Guatemala police in action during State of Emergency appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
