Guatemala : Attempted Uprising Highlights Lack of Control in Guatemala Prisons

A prison riot in Guatemala highlights a broken system that continues to suffer from overcrowding, rising violence and a lack of organizational leadership – all of which likely exacerbates the nation’s gang problems.

The riot occurred on October 6 at the high-security Boquerón prison in the Santa Rosa Department of Guatemala. Inmates began the disturbance after an announcement regarding new security measures, but security forces eventually restored a semblance of order, reported elPeriódico.

This riot comes as amid ongoing problems in Guatemala’s penetentiary system. According to statistics from the Human Rights Ombudsman (Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos - PDH) reported by Prensa Libre, problems of overcrowding and violence are endemic in many prisons.

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