skip to contentAdvertisementEarlier Saturday, Villeda's agency said in a statement that the inmate uprising was a direct result of the prison administrators' decision to strip privileges from some imprisoned gang leaders.By: AP January 18, 2026 08:58 AM IST First published on: Jan 18, 2026 at 08:57 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookGuatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo gives an interview at his office in the National Palace in Guatemala City. (Photo: AP)Several dozen Guatemalan prison guards were being held hostage by inmates in three prisons Saturday following apparently coordinated disturbances, authorities said.Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda said he was willing to talk with the inmates, but would not accede to their demands in seeking the release of the 46 guards.Earlier Saturday, Villeda’s agency said in a statement that the inmate uprising was a direct result of the prison administrators’ decision to strip privileges from some imprisoned gang leaders.“In Guatemala, we don’t negotiate with terrorists nor with organised crime,” the statement said. “We also don’t allow groups that have sown fear to impose their conditions.” National Police were deployed around the affected prisons. There were no reports of injuries or deaths. In videos circulated on social platforms, some prisoners demanded transfer.In October, President Bernardo Arévalo accepted the resignations of three top security officials, including Villeda’s predecessor, after authorities admitted that 20 gang members had escaped over a period of days.“The link between the prison system and the criminality outside has to be cut,” Arévalo said in an interview with The Associated Press Thursday. “That’s why all this effort to regain control of the prison system is very important.”AdvertisementLoading Taboola...Top story1Indian embassy says vessel with 16 Indian crew members detained in Iran, seeks consular access2Trump imposes 10% tariff on UK, France, Denmark other European countries for opposing US control of Greenland3‘Nobel Prize and laureate are inseparable’: Nobel Institute on Machado gifting her medal to Trump4Iran’s leader Khamenei calls Trump a ‘criminal’, blames US president for inciting deadly protests5‘Islamic Republic will fall,’ says exiled crown prince as he urges world to back Iran protestersAdvertisement