Guatemala: Prison riots leave at least 46 people taken hostage

teleSUR English

Inmates at three prisons in Guatemala staged riots and took at least 46 people hostage, most of them prison guards and security personnel. Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda confirmed that no deaths or injuries have been reported among those being held. He emphasized that the government will not negotiate with terrorists and intends to regain full control of the penitentiary centers. Authorities indicated that the disturbances were allegedly coordinated by the Barrio 18 gang, whose leader is seeking transfer to another prison for better conditions and special treatment. Officials noted that the number of hostages in this incident is significantly higher than in previous cases.    #teleSUREnglish #Guatemala #PrisonRiots #Barrio18 #Hostages #SecurityCrisis

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00:00We move on to other topics. In Guatemala, inmates at three prisons staged riots and took at least 46 people hostage.

00:07Guatemala's Interior Minister, Marco Antonio Villeda, stated that most of the hostages are prison guards and security personnel,

00:14emphasizing that so far no deaths or injuries have been reported among those being held.

00:19Villeda added that the government will not negotiate with terrorists and plans to regain full control of the penitentiary centers.

00:25The Interior Minister also said the disturbances were allegedly coordinated by the Barrio 18 gang,

00:31claiming that its leader is seeking to be transferred to another prison in order to obtain better conditions and special treatment.

00:39While hostage-taking incidents involving prison guards have occurred in Guatemala in the past,

00:44authorities noted that the current number of hostages is significantly higher than in previous cases.

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