Authorities in Guatemala announced on Sunday that the country's president survived an assassination attempt carried out by Mexican gunmen who failed to execute their deadly plan. A spokesperson for the Guatemalan military stated that "military forces exchanged gunfire with armed individuals who approached their vehicle near the location of President Alejandro Giammattei's entourage on Saturday, but the president was not present at the time of the incident and was unharmed."
He added, "The forces stopped the vehicle as it approached a security checkpoint guarding the presidential delegation during President Giammattei's visit to the Huehuetenango area, about 300 kilometers east of Guatemala City." The occupants of the vehicle fired at the soldiers, who returned fire, while Giammattei was located about two kilometers away at the time of the incident.
The military spokesperson noted that "one of the gunmen, believed to be Mexican, was injured in the confrontation and is receiving medical care, while the others fled in the vehicle towards the Mexican border, which is about 80 kilometers from the city." The spokesperson explained that "the Mexican military later arrested at least four individuals believed to be from Guatemala, and a portable radio and a grenade launcher were found across the border in Mexico."
