Guatemala City, by Lincy Rodríguez -AGN-. In an interview with Tribuna EFE, President Bernardo Arévalo highlighted the measures his government took to address the growing security threat in the country. According to the president, their response is due to the identification of extortion as one of the main threats to the security of Guatemalans.
A threat from prisons
President Arévalo underscored concerns about extortion, pointing out that extortionists operate from prisons through phone calls and how these have become business centers for these criminals, generating growing insecurity among the population.
To address this problem, the government searched several prisons in the country, dismantling and eliminating the extortionists’ communications with the outside world. Arévalo emphasized that determining key points, such as the fight against drug trafficking, has been fundamental to these operations.
#EnDirecto | Tribuna EFE – Casa de América con el presidente @BArevalodeLeon. https://t.co/G1IdFKiyHW
— Gobierno Guatemala (@GuatemalaGob) February 23, 2024
One of the government’s responses has been launching the Special Group against Extortion -GECE-, which actively fights this scourge from the streets, setting a presence and positively impacting citizen security.
The administration has intensified its efforts against drug trafficking in addition to dealing with extortion. More than half a ton of drugs were seized in the port of San José in collaboration with the Ministries of the Interior and Defense and the Superintendence of Customs, installing an effective mechanism against drug trafficking and border smuggling.
Autoridades dan fuerte golpe contra extorsiones, en requisa realizada por @PNCdeGuatemala y @_SPGuatemala en Centro de Detención para Mujeres Santa Teresa, zona 18. Se incautaron 122 celulares, 9 SIM y 5 róuters. Estas acciones son instruidas por el Ministro @FJimenezmingob. pic.twitter.com/mhOlSjXNMe
— MinGob (@mingobguate) February 23, 2024
Interinstitutional cooperation
President Arévalo accentuated the importance of inter-institutional cooperation that seeks to establish a solid mechanism to deal with drug trafficking and smuggling at the country’s borders.
A notable achievement was the lack of violent deaths on February 7. This indicates that criminal structures are noticing the active presence of the authorities. He affirmed that this success is a forceful and targeted response to the country’s threats.
He underscored the importance of these actions in building a comprehensive and effective response to threats to national security, demonstrating the government’s commitment to address this problem forcefully.
