Guatemala's President Giammattei narrowly escapes assassination attempt near Mexico border

The President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei escaped unharmed during an armed attack on his entourage on Saturday. He was traveling through a village in the northwestern part of Huehuetenango, near the Mexico border, when gunmen opened fire at the Guatemalan state head, a local media Sonora es la Noticia reported. At least one person sustained gunshot wounds and was immediately transferred to medical care.

The incident came shortly after President Giammattei returned from Ukraine after showing solidarity with the people of the embattled nation amid the war with Russia. This was the first visit of a Latin American President to Ukraine in the past 12 years. The Guatemalan President signed a visa-free travel agreement with Ukraine.

One man sustained injuries in shooting incident

The spokesperson for Guatemalan Army, Ruben Tellez told local media that the soldiers were working a highway checkpoint to fortify the area before the President's visit to La Laguna. The gunfire broke out when President Giammattei's car reached the checkpoint. The National Guard retaliated against the gunshot, which resulted in a bullet hitting a Mexican man. "Personnel of the Guatemalan Army halted a vehicle that approached the location. The occupants of the vehicle, upon seeing the presence of military personnel, started firing to which the soldiers responded," said Tellez, as quoted by Associated Press. He added that the perpetrators evaded the spot in the direction of the Mexico border.

Guatemalan Police detains journalist critical of President Giammattei

The gunfire on the Presidential entourage took place following the detainment of Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. The founder of El Periodico's publication was nabbed after police raided his office. An award-winning journalist, Zamora, who remained a staunch critic of the incumbent Guatemalan government, was arrested on probable money laundering charges, local media reported. "There must be a conspiracy, a persecution. If that’s the case, we must pay for the love of Guatemala with jail time,”Zamora told reporters while he was being taken away by police, as reported by New York Times.

The arrest of Zamora is the latest move by Guatemalan authorities to crush political dissent and attempts to expose graft and corruption in the government of President Giammattei. This comes as Guatemala continues to remain a hotbed of human rights violations. Last month, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights enlisted Guatemala in the category of serious human rights violations, an accusation that President Giammattei rejects.

(IMAGE: AP)