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LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

November 3, 2025

Will a New Anti-Gang Measure Make Guatemala Safer?

Guatemala’s Congress passed new anti-gang legislation last month after the escape of 20 gang members from a prison, which led to the resignations of security officials from President Bernardo Arévalo’s government. // File Photo: Guatemalan Government via Flickr PDM 1.0.

Q

  • Guatemala’s Congress on Oct. 21 approved long-stalled legislation that lengthens sentences for convicted gang members, designates the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs as terrorist organizations and orders the construction of a new prison to hold gang members. The legislation was approved following the escape of 20 gang members from a prison and the resulting resignations of three top security officials, including Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez. How will the anti-gang legislation affect Guatemala’s fight against organized criminal groups? To what extent does organized crime—and related public corruption—represent a risk to the country’s institutional stability? How does Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo’s handling of organized criminal groups compare to that of other heads of state in the region, such as El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa?

A

Salvador Paiz, president of Funsepa and board member of Fundesa in Guatemala City: “Guatemala’s recently enacted anti-gang law (Decree 11-2025) represents a long-awaited strengthening of the country’s security framework. By explicitly designating Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) as terrorist organizations, the law elevates the fight against gangs to a national-security priority, allowing the use of counter-terrorism tools and coordination across institutions. It also creates an Extraordinary Interinstitutional Working Group—integrating the National Civil Police, penitentiary system, Public Ministry, human rights ombudsman and judicial branch—to address the gang problem systemically, alongside a prevention task force that…”

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A Tale of Two Sheinbaum’s: Mexico’s Security Strategy Home and Abroad

A Tale of Two Sheinbaum’s: Mexico’s Security Strategy Home and Abroad