The Minister of the Interior, Marco Antonio Villeda, in statements to the press this Wednesday, April 22, referred to the armed attack that caused the death of six people in a cevicheria in zone 6 and left two injured, including a 5-year-old child.
The official stated that what happened is an “unfortunate event that is the result of a dispute over territory to control certain illicit businesses.”
He stated that they have identified those who make up these groups that cause this violence and that they will not be “given any consideration.”
He added that this Wednesday they carried out a series of raids to dismantle these criminal gangs.
“It is a war between gangs that is caused by the desire to control certain territories to carry out illicit activities,” Villeda remarked.
According to the official, regrettable events like this had not occurred for a long time, and they hope to have control in the shortest possible time.
Villeda added that, according to statistics, homicidal violence has been decreasing, although there have been incidents that concern them, and they are seeking to identify those responsible for these acts.
He affirmed that the states of prevention and siege have worked, as the statistics prove it.
He explained that we must be aware that the simple fact of decreeing these measures does not make criminal activity disappear, so they need to maintain joint actions with the Guatemalan Army to attack criminal phenomena and achieve a sustained downward trend.
He added that he regrets the death of every Guatemalan and is always aware of how homicidal violence evolves to take corrective actions and prevent these events from being repeated.
To read more: Violence in zone 6: armed attack in Cipresales leaves two dead and two women injured
The minister indicated that Tuesday’s attack in Cipresales, zone 6, could be retaliation for what happened at the cevichería, so they will continue with the operations.
Villeda indicated that it must be taken into account that they have isolated the leaders of criminal groups and that there is internal recomposition to appoint new leaders, something that does not happen only in one sector.
He announced that prevention states could be in force as long as necessary to reduce crime rates.
He acknowledged that there have been days with spikes in violence, which they are trying to contain.
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