Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Guatemala's Congress approved a state of siege decreed by President Bernardo Arevalo in response to escalating gang violence and simultaneous riots at three prisons across the country.
The measure was ratified Monday during an extraordinary plenary session in which a broad majority of lawmakers backed the 30-day emergency order, according to the government-run Guatemalan News Agency.
Arevalo's decision followed the killing of nine National Civil Police officers Sunday. The officers were attacked at different locations in Guatemala City in what authorities described as a coordinated assault allegedly carried out by gang members.
The executive branch said ordinary security measures were no longer sufficient to contain what it described as a serious threat to public order, prompting the activation of the exceptional legal framework.
Related
