News|PrisonGuatemala prisoners take workers hostages in riots across three facilitiesOfficials say 46 workers are being held, with gang members behind the riots seeking better conditions.
## Security Situation in Guatemalan Prisons
Security Situation in Guatemalan Prisons
According to official reports, prisoners in Guatemala have taken at least 46 workers hostage during riots at three detention centers. The disturbances, initiated on Saturday, are believed to be coordinated by gang members in response to a leader's request for transfer to another facility for improved conditions.
There have been no reported fatalities or injuries among the hostages, as confirmed by Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda at a news conference. The riots have been attributed to members of the Barrio 18 gang. The Interior Ministry has characterized the unrest as a direct response to recent efforts to revoke privileges from gang leaders.
Minister Villeda stated, "I am not going to make any deals with any terrorist group. I will not give in to this blackmail, and I will not restore their privileges in exchange for them stopping their actions." The hostages primarily include guards, along with a psychologist, according to a prison official.
At the Renovacion 1 maximum security prison in Escuintla, located in southern Guatemala, police and military units have established a perimeter. Emergency services, including ambulances and firetrucks, are on standby. Inmates, some wearing prison-issued jumpsuits and others in casual attire, have been observed watching from the patrol towers with faces covered by improvised masks.
According to official reports, prisoners in Guatemala have taken at least 46 workers hostage during riots at three detention centers.
A masked inmate expressed concerns over safety, stating, "They can’t even guarantee their own security, so how are they supposed to guarantee ours?" This sentiment reflects the broader issues of safety and living conditions within the facility.
Guatemala has faced challenges in controlling its prison population, exacerbated by significant gang influence. Reports indicate harsh and unsafe conditions within the facilities. In a recent development, President Bernardo Arévalo accepted the resignations of three senior security officials following the escape of 20 gang members over several days in October.
President Arévalo commented on the situation, emphasizing the need to disconnect the prison system from external criminal activities. "That’s why all this effort to regain control of the prison system is very important," he stated in a recent interview.
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Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.