Guatemala’s president declares 30-day state of emergency after prison riots

President Bernardo Arevalo issues the order after at least seven police officers killed in apparent reprisal for authorities quelling riots, ending hostage-taking in three prisons.Published On 19 Jan 2026Guatemala’s president has declared a state of emergency following a weekend eruption of violence during which gang members took dozens of hostages across three prisons and killed at least seven police officers in the capital in apparent retribution, after the authorities regained control of facilities where inmates had rioted.President Bernardo Arevalo issued a 30-day order on Sunday, which restricts civil liberties and allows security officers to arrest or question individuals without prior court approval. The emergency order takes immediate effect, although it still needs to be approved by Guatemala’s legislature.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,425list 2 of 4US Pentagon orders troops to prepare for potential Minnesota deploymentlist 3 of 4China says GDP grew 5% in 2025, among weakest expansions in decadeslist 4 of 4European leaders slam Trump’s tariff threats over Greenlandend of list“These murders were carried out with the intention of terrorising the security forces and the population so that we give up in the fight against gangs and their regime of terror. But they will fail,” Arevalo said in a nationwide address.The president said all hostages had been freed and declared three days of state mourning following the attacks.The prison riots began on Saturday after the administrators moved to limit the privileges of gang leaders, including Aldo Duppie, the imprisoned leader of Guatemala’s Barrio 18 gang.Barrio 18 and its rival Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were designated as “foreign terrorist organizations” by the administration of United States President Donald Trump in September, followed by Guatemala’s Congress a month later.Gang-affiliated inmates took 46 prison guards and staff hostage across three prisons in and around Guatemala-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="6273" data-entity-type="location">Guatemala City on Saturday, including the maximum-security prison holding Duppie, who is better known by his nickname El Lobo or The Wolf.Law enforcement officers escort Aldo Duppie, the imprisoned leader of Guatemala’s Barrio 18 gang, after regaining control of the prison where inmates rioted in this handout image released on January 18, 2026 [Handout/National Civil Police via Reuters]The riot at El Lobo’s prison was broken up by a lightning raid early on Sunday morning by police and the military, followed by raids on two more prisons the same day. The Barrio 18 leader was photographed in the custody of security forces wearing a blood-stained shirt.