Guatemala Military Denies Deadly Huite Attack

Guatemala’s military has denied involvement in a deadly attack that killed at least seven people, including two women and a girl, in the eastern town of Huite.

The killings took place on Sunday, with videos shared by local media showing unidentified men in military-style clothing carrying rifles near a white pickup truck at the entrance to the town.

The army on Monday attributed the violence to a dispute between rival drug-trafficking groups operating in the area.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the three female victims were found dead inside a pickup truck, while four adult men were discovered dead at other locations.

Army spokeswoman Nathalia Mollinedo said the violence stemmed from territorial disputes between transnational criminal organisations and denied that the men seen in the videos were soldiers.

She said the military had chosen not to enter Huite at the time to avoid escalating the confrontation.

 “The military decided not to enter (the town) at that time in order to avoid escalating the conflict,” she said.

Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda gave a more cautious response when asked whether Guatemalan or allied US forces could have been involved in the deaths.

Villeda said he did not want to draw conclusions before receiving more information about what happened and confirmed that the incident would be investigated. He also ruled out police involvement.

The killings occurred less than a week after the United States and Guatemala announced an agreement to jointly pursue organised crime groups, drug cartels and alleged “narco-politicians”.

Guatemala also recently received its first shipment of US weapons in 50 years after Washington lifted an arms embargo imposed during the country’s civil war.

The country is also part of US President Donald Trump’s anti-cartel “Shield of the Americas” alliance.