Guatemalan Prison Crisis Ends: Hostage Guards Freed, Official Killed Amid Gang Riots

Guatemalan authorities successfully secured the release of nine prison guards on Saturday, concluding a three-day hostage crisis sparked by violent inmate riots in Guatemala City. The guards had been held since Thursday by members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.

The unrest, which began Tuesday, involved both Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs in two prisons. Inmates initiated the riots to demand the return of 10 gang leaders who had been transferred to a different facility and placed in solitary confinement.

Tragically, the crisis resulted in one fatality: a prison official died on Friday after being shot, reportedly at one of the riot-affected prisons. This incident follows a similar event earlier in the week, where anti-kidnapping teams freed 11 other guards who had also been held hostage by gang members in separate Guatemalan prisons on Wednesday.

Guatemala continues to grapple with severe gang violence, primarily between the rival Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha, which exert criminal control and engage in extortion across the country.

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