Guatemala imposes state of siege in two provinces for violence

O Guatemalan government decreed the state of siege in two provinces, following a series of armed attacks registered since the end of September, including two on Friday that killed seven.

The measure was announced by the executive of President Bernardo Arevalo de León on Saturday night, imposing the state of siege for 30 days in the provinces of Zacapa and Izabal, both located in the east of the country.

The measure suspends constitutional guarantees, such as freedom of movement and assembly, in addition to exempting the requirement of a court order for arrests and searches.

In a statement, the government justifies the measure “in order to strengthen security, protect the population and ensure public order”.

The Guatemalan Ministry of National Defense also announced the deployment of military and security forces to take over operational control of the region.

“ Posts of registration and control, route security, patrolling and air reconnaissance are being maintained in Zacapa, Izabal and Chiquimula [East Province], to offer the population an environment of order, security and trust”, in cooperation with the police, highlighted the ministry.

The decision responds to a sharp increase in violence in Zacapa, which began on September 27 in the municipality of Huité, where an armed group executed eight people, including three women and one minor, at different crime sites.

The episode was joined by the attack on November 6 in the neighboring municipality of Río Hondo, in which Guatemalan deputy Julio César Portillo Paz, 36 years old, and three police officers of his escort died after being ambushed by armed men.

The escalation of crime continued early on Friday, with an armed incursion into the village of La Majada in Zacapa, where men in camouflaged costumes invaded the community and executed five people, including one mother and two children.

Hours later, in Puerto Barrios, headquarters of the province of Izabal, a cattle farmer and a farmer were ambushed and shot to death inside a vehicle. The Guatemalan authorities did not confirm links between the attacks or mention any arrests.

Violence in border areas with Honduras coincides with the recent sanctions imposed by the United States against organized crime groups due to international drug trafficking.

Local authorities and international agencies stress that the groups dispute territorial control and trafficking routes in the state-of-the-art provinces.

“ Security institutions will coordinate the actions necessary to protect the population and ensure the tranquility of communities, in strict compliance with the law and respect for human rights,” the Guatemalan Government promised in a statement.