At least eight bodies wrapped in plastic bags were found this Friday under a highway bridge in a town east of the capital of Guatemalalifeguards reported.
The Central American country is plagued by criminal violence, mainly due to the actions of fearsome gangs.
“Eight bodies are confirmed in plastic bags” under the San Juan bridge, located in the municipality of Palenciathe spokesman for Volunteer FirefightersHans Lemus.
The bodies were abandoned among the undergrowth in bags of different colors and tied at the top, according to images from local television.
Lemus commented that they do not know the sex of the victims or if they show signs of violence since personnel from the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office) will be in charge of processing the scene of the accident.
The discovery occurred on the same day he took office. Marco Antonio Villeda as Minister of the Interior (Interior) after the dismissal of his predecessor, Francisco Jimenezin the midst of a political crisis due to escape of 20 leaders of the Barrio 18 gang of a prison.
So far only four gang members have been recaptured.
The government of President Bernardo Arévalo has not commented on the multiple crimes.
The gangs Neighborhood 18 and Mara Salvatrucha They were declared “terrorist” organizations by the United States and Guatemala.
Almost half of the violence in the country is attributed by the authorities to drug trafficking and gangs dedicated to extorting merchants and passenger transportation businessmen.
According to official figures, Guatemala closed last year with a homicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, more than double the world average.
