Guatemalan authorities declared a state of emergency on Saturday in the eastern departments of Zacapa and Izabal, imposing restrictions on gatherings and expanding security forces’ powers a week after a lawmaker and three police officers were killed in an attack.
The decree limits outdoor gatherings and allows security officials to disperse groups by force, make arrests, and enter residences without a warrant. It took effect immediately and will remain in place for 30 days.
The two neighboring departments cover an area roughly the size of Qatar.
The announcement followed 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.
Authorities did not identify who was responsible, but the attack occurred amid heightened concerns over the influence of organized crime.
Washington this week designated several crime groups operating in Zacapa as terrorist organizations and accused them of ties to Mexican drug trafficking cartels.
“The Government of Guatemala remains committed to protecting the lives, safety, and peace of Guatemalan families,” the government said in a statement, adding that the state of emergency was intended to protect the local population.