Name: Seven police officers killed after riots in three Guatemalan prisons
Uploaded: 2026-01-19T09:19:16.770Z
Duration: 2 min 16 s
Description: Seven police officers in Guatemala have been killed in gang-related violence, authorities have said, hours after police regained control of a maximum-security prison that was overtaken by rioting prisoners.

Seven police officers in Guatemala have been killed in gang-related violence, authorities have said, hours after police regained control of a maximum-security prison that was overtaken by rioting prisoners.

Guatemala City

Seven police officers were shot dead during coordinated riots in three Guatemalan prisons, following government efforts to regain control from inmates. The unrest was sparked by the government's refusal to ease prison conditions for senior gang leaders, leading to hostage situations and widespread violence.

Authorities regained control of the high-security Renovación I prison and freed hostages, while several gang members, including a prominent leader, were recaptured. Security forces remain on high alert in urban areas, with public events cancelled and residents warned to stay indoors amid ongoing threats.

Seven police officers killed after riots in three Guatemalan prisons

Firefighters try unsuccessfully to revive a wounded police officer outside the justice center in Villanueva on Sunday. He was one of seven officers shot dead as gangs retaliated after authorities moved back into prisons taken over by inmates. Social media videos show at least three prisons in flames. Dozens of guards were taken hostage part of a coordinated uprising sparked by the government's refusal to loosen prison conditions for senior gang leaders. At a high-security Renovación I prison in Esquintla, masked inmates seized watchtowers as police and soldiers formed a tight perimeter outside. How are they going to protect our lives in this place? They are not. Look at the state of this prison. By Sunday, authorities said they had regained control of Renovación I and freed the hostages. Police footage shows alleged gang members being rounded up and recaptured. Among them, Aldo Dupi, known as El Lobo, widely reported as the top leader of the Barrio 18 gang. But soon after, the coordinated attacks on police broke out in and around Guatemala City. Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda said the government would not negotiate, announcing joint police-army operation to secure urban areas. We arrested seven gang members, either moments before carrying out attacks or shortly after they had done so. Also, one gang member was killed after police responded to an attack on officers' lives. Guatemala has long struggled with criminal violence, linked mainly to the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 gangs, both designated terrorist organizations by Guatemala and the United States. The latest unrest began last year, when authorities moved senior gang leaders to the Renovación prison. As authorities worked to restore order, residents were warned of possible attacks on civilians and urged to stay indoors. Public events in the capital have been cancelled, as security forces remain on high alert. Alessandro Ampietti, Al Jazeera.

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