Alejandro Giammattei declared a state of alert that will also limit the possession of firearms. — Reuters pic

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 24 — Guatemala’s new president, Alejandro Giammattei, today declared a state of alert in a gang-plagued municipality on the outskirts of Guatemala City, part of a new crime-fighting strategy.

The order restricts certain civil liberties, including outdoor gatherings, in the municipality of Villa Nueva on the southwest of the capital, following similar measures in the municipalities of Mixco and San Juan Sacatepequez in the west and northwest of Guatemala City.

The restrictions also limit the possession of firearms and allows security forces to dissolve any unauthorized meetings or public demonstrations.

In his inaugural address earlier this month, Giammattei vowed to put forward a law that designated street gangs as terrorist groups.

Northern Central American countries have some of the highest murder rates in the world. They have fallen sharply in recent years, but street gangs have increasingly turned to extortion and other crimes. — Reuters