On Saturday, the Guatemalan authorities issued a decree that a state of emergency will be enacted in the eastern departments of Zacapa and Izabal.
For this purpose they are banning gatherings and boosting powers for security forces, only a week after a lawmaker and three police officers were killed in an attack.
What is important to note is that the decree limits outdoor gatherings and even allows security officials to disperse groups by force if necessary. Moreover, they can now make arrests and enter residences without a warrant.
According to Reuters, it is effective immediately and through the next 30 days and as for the two neighboring departments, they span an area roughly the size of Qatar.
The outlet claims that the announcement follows a series of armed attacks in Zacapa, including the shooting of lawmaker Julio Cesar Portillo in Rio Hondo on November 6. (Portillo was taken to a hospital but later died of his injuries.)
Three police officers were also killed in the attack, President Bernardo Arevalo later announced.
Until now there is no confirmation about who is responsible, but the attack occurred amid heightened concerns over the influence of organized crime.
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