This Tuesday, April 23, the National Economic Research Center (one hundred) reported that between January and March 2025, 779 homicides were registered, 190 more than in the same period of the previous year.
Walter Menchú, a hundred investigator, said that this figure is equivalent to a 32% increase in violent deaths.
What attracts attention, mainly, is that in the department of Guatemala the homicides increased by 69%, he said.
The analysis of one hundred evidence that the departments with more deaths are: Guatemala, Escuintla, Chiquimula, Jalapa and Quetzaltenango.
Menchú said there were 93 women women, 26 more than in the first quarter of the previous year.
“We see an almost similar behavior; there were 26 more homicides, that is equivalent to 39%,” Menchú explained.
He emphasized that the authorities must implement actions to control the levels of violence in the country, because they could continue to increase.
Complaints for extortion continue to increase
The study reveals that in 2025 complaints of extortion increased, compared to the first three months of the previous year.
It is noted that it is urgent to address the scourge that affects shops and the country’s economy.
“We know that only part of the extortion is denounced. There is fear on the part of the population,” said the researcher.
According to statistics from the National Civil Police, until March 7,49 complaints had been received for extortion.
Menchú commented that the increases in violent deaths are concentrated in the capital, specifically in zones 7, 18 and 24.
“These areas that present the greatest increases are still. What we have seen is a change in criminal dynamics and leadership of criminal structures and gangs,” said the investigator.
He stressed that this same phenomenon has occurred in the municipalities of Villa Canales, Villa New and Chinautla.
“A strategy should focus on how the control of those places where it has been totally lost, and that until now, beyond a media issue, has not seen an important effort in terms of interventions in those places,” he said.
Likewise, Mario Mérida, the former Government Minister, says that the authorities are needed a correct appreciation of the situation of homicidal violence in the country.
He commented that, after implementing security tents between agents of the National Civil Police (PNC) and Army elements, officials have not released the results or if these actions are truly effective.
“If not to be addressed from a broader vision, I think they will escape their hands for the next quarter,” he warned.
Ángel Pineda, general secretary of the Public Ministry, on April 8, said there were more than 23 thousand arrest warrants pending executing.
“There are 8 thousand 24 arrest warrants for violence against women, sexual crimes and femicide. This is added about 15 thousand more orders throughout the country,” Pineda published on their social networks.
According to the platform of the indicators of criminal justice, until March 31, 2025, the prison system registered 23 thousand 182 deprived of liberty in all prisons, of which 6,750 kept preventive detention.
Mérida said that the Mingob could assign four task forces to carry out operations and locate those who have pending capture orders.
“This will collapse the justice system that is already in cockroach rags. Then prisons are needed,” he said.
Operations against gangs
On February 20, David Custodio Boto, director of the PNC, announced that together with the army they would enable tents in different colonies and departments where Mara Salvatrucha operates.
He explained that the objective is to prevent these criminal groups from facing and that third parties are affected.
Also that in the Cerinal, Barberena, Santa Rosa, and in zones 3, 5 and 16 of the capital, confrontations between both gangs have been observed.
Custodio reported that these combined forces will be permanently in the so -called “security tents.”
He asked the neighbors to denounce the gang members operating in the sector. “In a piece of paper you can write addresses, names of gang members, aka of gang members, and it will serve us to initiate the investigation,” he said regarding the citizen complaint.
He added that they work in a coordinated manner with the army, and that these tents will be indefinitely. The patrols will continue, as tents are extra support and will have researchers.