Firearm News
Profile on Life and Work of Rebecca Peters
7 July 2018
Sydney Morning Herald
Flory Teletor was 17 when she began living with her boyfriend, Santo, in a cramped apartment in Guatemala City. Santo, who was 20, worked as a security guard. He was violent and controlling. He gave Flory a daily allowance of 20 quetzals ($3.50). She had to account for every cent; when she failed to do so, he would beat her. Sometimes, he would brandish the pistol he used for work, even shooting above her head. Flory was terrified, but she had already fled an abusive... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Used in 8 of 10 Homicides in Guatemala [ES]
17 November 2016
Última Hora (Paraguay)
[Translated summary: Guatemala had 15 homicides for every day during the first ten months of 2016, according to a humanitarian organization. From January to October, the country registered 4,606 homicides of which 630 were women. 79.83% of homicides were committed with a firearm.]
Guatemala registró una media de 15 asesinatos diarios durante los primeros diez meses de 2016, informó este jueves la organización humanitaria Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM).
El informe,... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala Why 9mm and .38 Illicit Handguns Proliferate [ES]
19 September 2016
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: The most common guns used in crimes in Guatemala, for their cheap prices and their characteristics, are the 9 mm pistol and the .38 revolver. According to the experts, the 9 mm can be disassembled in 5 pieces that are interchangeable with other pistols, as long as they are the same brand and calibre. Criminals use them so they can hide evidence by changing the barrels.]
Armas utilizadas en crímenes son desarmadas y sus piezas vendidas en mercado... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala Destroys 5,409 Seized Crime Guns [ES]
21 July 2016
Wradio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: Specialized personnel from the Guatemala's Ministry of Defence destroyed 5,409 firearms from different calibres. These had been confiscated in different criminal acts. The firearms (pistols, revolvers, assault rifles, shotguns and rifles) were cut using a circular saw.]
GUATEMALA - Personal especializado del Ministerio de Defensa de Guatemala destruyó hoy 5.409 armas de fuego de distintos calibres que habían sido decomisadas en diferentes hechos... (GunPolicy.org)
Nicaragua,Peru,Haiti,Dominican Republic,Cuba,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Turkey,El Salvador,United States,Russia,Austria,Belgium,Colombia,Brazil,Czech Republic,Germany,Israel,Venezuela,Italy,Spain
16 January 2015
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
During the 1980s, El Salvador was the single largest recipient of U.S. military hardware and weaponry in the Western Hemisphere. Although the Central American country's civil war ended in 1992, the guns, grenades and bullets linger, as do their murderous effects. In September, a U.S. official from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimated that half the weapons available on El Salvador's vibrant black market were made in the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Austria,Guatemala,European Union
EU, Austria Classify Guatemala High Risk, Refuse to Export Glocks [ES]
5 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala), Editorial
[Translated summary: Austria and the European Union see a high risk of corruption and human rights abuse in Guatemala, and so refuse to export Glock pistols for local police.]
¿Armas europeas para cometer hechos criminales?, de ninguna manera dice Austria
A la Fábrica Glock Ges. m.b.H, con sede en Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, se le complicó cumplir con un pedido del Ministerio del Interior, luego que el Gobierno austriaco le negara la petición de exportar al país 3... (GunPolicy.org)
Uproar as Guatemalan Police Import Glock, Beretta Pistols [ES]
3 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: Amid allegations of police corruption in Guatemala, a leaked Austrian document denies an export permit for 3000 Glock pistols. The Italian government approved the export of 14,142 Berettas.]
Gobierno deberá responder por informe presentado por Austria
Dicha nación denegó en marzo pasado la licencia de exportación de armas destinadas a la PNC, por considerar que el uso de estas podría desviarse para fines criminales.
Las armas adquiridas... (GunPolicy.org)
Austrian Govt Denies Export Permit to Guatemala for 3000 Handguns [ES]
2 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary - The Austrian government has denied a permit for the export of 3000 Glock pistols due to concerns about the high rate of corruption and crime in Guatemala, and the risk that the firearms could be diverted for criminal purposes.]
La decisión fue tomada por dicho país luego de una investigación en la que se concluye que existe un alto índice de corrupción y criminalidad en Guatemala, y que el uso de armas podría desviarse para fines... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru,Colombia,Jordan,Mexico,Guatemala,Honduras,Uruguay,Argentina,Brazil
Gun Thefts From Peru Army Supplies Points to Possible Corruption, Trafficking
3 April 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Peru say the majority of arms used by criminal groups are stolen from private owners and security forces, highlighting a common regional phenomenon that is often facilitated by corrupt officials.
Specialists consulted by El Comercio said the majority of pistols and shotguns used by criminal groups in Peru were stolen from legitimate owners, rather than acquired through the black market. Authorities reported that 1,767 firearms were declared lost or... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,Russia,Italy,United States,Honduras,El Salvador,South Korea,China,Belgium
Majority of Legal Guns in El Salvador Traced Back to US [PT]
6 January 2014
Vermelho / El Pais
[Translated summary: Around 60% of legal guns traced in El Salvador originate in the US according to ATF data. The US has a similar tracing system in place with Honduras and Guatemala. 70% of El Salvador's homicides are committed with firearms. Many of these guns are bought legally in America and trafficked to El Salvador.]
Cerca de 60% das armas legais rastreadas em El Salvador têm sua origem nos Estados Unidos. O dado, obtido graças a um programa de colaboração... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Guatemala,El Salvador,United States
El Salvador Tracking Program Reveals Most Arms Come From US
2 December 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A program to track El Salvador's hundreds of thousands of firearms has established that most come from the United States, suggesting civil war era weapons are being replaced through new arms trafficking networks.
With training from the US Office on Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), El Salvador's National Police (PNC) has tracked around 34,000 arms in the last two years, reported La Prensa Grafica. The aim is ultimately to track all legal registered arms, which the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Guatemala,Italy,Israel
Beretta, Glock Pistols, Israeli Submachine Guns for Guatemala Police
7 November 2013
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
The Guatemalan government will invest some $12.6 million to buy new weapons for the National Civil Police, or PNC, a government minister said Wednesday.
Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said at a press conference that after 10 "failed bidding processes" to buy the weapons for the PNC held between 2005 and 2011, authorities opted to make the acquisition from three different foreign manufacturers via an "exceptional agreement."
The procedure, which is allowed by... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala Gun Homicide Rate Double World Average: Report
23 October 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new study has found Guatemala's firearm homicide rate is almost twice the global average, with the violence fuelled by the large number of illegal arms circulating in the country.
A new report published by the National Economic Research Center (CIEN) found the rate of homicides linked to firearms in Guatemala over the last decade was 82 percent. This is almost double the global average of 42 percent, and above even Central America's relatively high average of 70... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala Introduces Pre-Trial Jail for All Accused of Gun Charges
4 September 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Anybody caught carrying a gun in Guatemala will go straight to jail following an amendment to the criminal code, though it is questionable to what extent this will positively impact citizen security.
Guatemala's Congress passed an amendment to Article 264 of the country's Code of Criminal Procedure so that anyone detained on suspicion of major crimes including murder, kidnapping and carrying unregistered guns will automatically go into pre-trial detention. Previously... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands of Guatemalans Arrested Over Illegal Guns [ES]
25 July 2013
El Semanario (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Over 4,100 people have been arrested in Guatemala for illegal weapons possession since January 2012 as authorities consider law reform to increase penalties. Official data shows 14,090 people are licensed to carry guns while a new strategy to disarm criminal groups is under way. 90% of homicides are gun-related and 80% of victims are between 14 - 24 years old.]
Guatemala, Guatemala.- El ministro de Gobernación de Guatemala, Mauricio López... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Honduras
'Iron Fist' Policies Feed Central America Gang Violence: Study
3 July 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Harsh and repressive actions taken against gangs by Central American governments have served to worsen violence, according to the independent research project Small Arms Survey, highlighting the need for policy alternatives.
The Small Arms Survey's research director, Anna Alvazzi del Frate, told EFE that attacking gangs and eliminating leaders ends up causing more violence, and that these kinds of "mano dura" - or "iron fist" - policies have failed throughout the... (GunPolicy.org)
Belize Authorities Charge Two Guatemalans Over Unlicensed Guns
20 June 2013
Guardian (Belize City)
Two Guatemalans were arraigned at the Belmopan Magistrate's Court on Tuesday of this week, five days after their encounter with a Belizean patrol. Last Friday, the Friends for Conservation and Development, the Belize Defense Force and the Special Patrol Unit were on a joint patrol on the Caracol Road when they encountered two Guatemalans.
The Caracol Road is about 2.2 kilometers from the Tapir Camp and 8.5 kilometers from the Belize Guatemala Border.
In the... (GunPolicy.org)
32 Gang Firearms Used in Over 230 Guatemala Homicides [ES]
8 May 2013
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
A ballistics report prepared by the National Forensic Science Institute (Inacif) established that 32 firearms, which were held by members of the Mara Salvatrucha, have been used in 238 homicides, according to the Public Ministry. PM have evidence against the leaders of Mara Salvatrucha.
This scientific evidence presented by Inacif was obtained through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (Ibis, in English), which consists of a database that stores images and... (GunPolicy.org)
32 Crime Guns Linked to Over 230 Murders in Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Forensic analysis has revealed that the MS-13 gang in Guatemala used 32 guns to allegedly commit 238 murders, offering insight into the gang's modus operandi and highlighting some of the difficulties of tackling organized crime with gun control.
Members of Guatemala's National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif) used the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (Ibis) to identify 1,133 guns that had been used in multiple crimes, reported Prensa Libre.
Of those... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Report Traces Arms Trafficking from US to Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new report sheds light on a little-studied subject: the trafficking of US weapons into Guatemala, a relatively limited phenomenon that could be far bigger than suggested by the available data and may play a role in the continuing violence and criminality in that Central American nation.
The report (pdf), from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, reviews an analysis that the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted of... (GunPolicy.org)