In Guatemala, a rebellion of convicted bandits broke out in several prisons simultaneously, then the police in the capital, Guatemala City, were attacked and nine police officers were killed in three days.
The violence began on Saturday, when inmates took control of three prisons in what appeared to be a coordinated action, taking 43 guards hostage. Authorities say the reason was the inmates' demands for privileges not being met.
Police liberated a prison on Sunday morning, but gang attacks on its members across Guatemala City followed.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo declared a state of emergency today that will last for a month due to "coordinated actions by gangs against state security forces."
During a state of emergency, citizens' freedom of movement, demonstration, and carrying weapons are restricted, police can arrest without explanation, road traffic bans and vehicle searches are possible. Schools are closed as a precaution.
The US Embassy briefly sent its staff to a shelter in place on Sunday, but the order was later lifted and a "high level of caution" was advised.
The two gangs were declared terrorist organizations by both the Guatemalan and US parliaments, and the convicted bandits had their prison sentences extended on that basis.
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