Guatemalan inmates riot at three prisons, taking 46 people hostage
By Sofia Menchu
GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 17 (Reuters) – Inmates at three prisons in Guatemala rioted on Saturday and took at least 46 hostages, most of them guards but also a psychologist, authorities said.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda told a news conference that no deaths or injuries among the hostages have been reported so far.
Villeda said he coordinated riots at three prisons that inmates “claimed were organized by the Barrio 18 gang” because the gang’s leader wanted to be transferred to another facility to get better conditions and special treatment.
“I will not make any agreement with any terrorist group, I will not give in to this blackmail and I will not give back their privileges in exchange for stopping their actions,” Villeda added.
Although hostage situations involving prison guards have occurred in Guatemala before, the current hostage count is significantly higher than in past incidents.
The ministry said security forces, including army members, maintained full control of the surrounding area and were working to maintain order and secure the surrounding areas.
(Reporting by Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Chris Reese)
