Guatemalan security forces were working to take back control of three prisons on Saturday after rioting inmates took at least 46 people hostage, as officials blamed the incident on gang members demanding greater privileges.
As of Saturday afternoon, there were no reported deaths or injuries among the hostages, Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda said at a press conference. The hostages are mostly guards but include a psychologist, a prison official said.
Villeda said prisoners coordinated riots at three prisons, which he alleged were organized by the Barrio 18 gang, which was rioting because its leader is seeking a transfer to another facility to gain better conditions and special treatment.
A statement from the interior ministry said the riots were a "direct reaction" to the ministry's moves to revoke privileges from gang leaders.
“I am not going to make any deals with any terrorist group. I will not give in to this blackmail, and I will not restore their privileges in exchange for them stopping their actions,” Villeda said.
