State of Siege Declared in Guatemala Over Gang Violence

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Issue Jan 14-20 2026: Ten agents of the Policía Nacional Civil de Guatemala were killed on January 18, 2026, at the hands of incarcerated gang members during riots in three prisons. The murders reignited the smoldering conflict between the government of President Bernardo Arévalo de León and the leaders of Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), which are powerful criminal organizations that also operate in the United States, Honduras, and El Salvador. Yet these “criminal” groups overlap with dark anti-democratic forces in the country that sought to turn the crisis in to a coup opportunity. In response, the president declared a 30-day “State of Siege.” Analysts and pundits rose to the challenge.

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