Guatemala declares 30-day state of siege in Zacapa and Izabal after lawmaker killed

Emergency measures

Guatemala's government declared a state of siege for 30 days in the departments of Zacapa and Izabal, in the east of the country along the Honduran border, on Saturday, 14 November. The decree limits outdoor gatherings and public demonstrations, and authorities may disperse by force any gathering held without permission or one carried out with weapons. Vehicle movement is restricted in designated zones, and people can be prevented from leaving designated settlements. Suspects who disturb public order may be detained without a prior court order, and homes or other premises may be searched without a judge's warrant when wanted people or firearms are believed to be inside. The army deployed around 400 soldiers in Zacapa and 600 in Izabal on Saturday. The decree has been sent to Congress, which can either ratify it or withdraw it.

Killings in Zacapa

The decree follows a string of armed attacks in Zacapa. Lawmaker Julio César Portillo was taken to hospital after an attack but died of his injuries on 7 November, in an incident that also killed three police officers, who according to Nasz Dziennik had been protecting him. Five people were killed in another attack on Friday, 13 November, according to Deutsche Welle. Eight people had already died in clashes in Zacapa on 27 September. AFP put the number of people killed in armed attacks in Zacapa at no fewer than 17. Authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators of the killing of the lawmaker.

US terrorist designations

On Friday, 13 November, the United States designated the Lorenzana family cartel as a terrorist group. Authorities say the Lorenzana group controls Zacapa and is linked to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. In Izabal, the Mendoza cartel is active, and Washington has also classified it as a terrorist group. Europa Press also reported that the United States had added several gangs operating in Zacapa to its list of terrorist organizations, citing their ties to Mexican cartels. Guatemala is part of an alliance against drug cartels in Latin America that US President Donald Trump has proclaimed.

Political context

President Bernardo Arévalo, in office since 2024, faces criticism over rising criminal violence, according to Deutsche Welle. In January 2026, a series of attacks by the Barrio 18 gang left 11 police officers dead in different parts of Guatemala, and those attacks followed prison riots in several facilities. The government's communiqué says the measures aim to strengthen security and protect the population, and it frames the violence as the work of transnational criminal and terrorist organizations. Both departments border Honduras.