By Sofia Menchu
Guatemalan military exchanged fire with the passengers of a car as it approached the location of President Alejandro Giammattei's entourage on Saturday, though the president was elsewhere and was unharmed, an army spokesman said.
Guatemala's president Alejandro Giammattei (pictured) was not in the vicinity when gunmen opened fire on soldiers guarding the presidential delegation, a spokesperson said. Photo: JOHAN ORDONEZ
Military officials stopped the vehicle as it neared a checkpoint guarding the presidential delegation during a visit by Giammattei to the area of Huehuetenango, 300 kilometres east of Guatemala City, the spokesman said.
The occupants of the car opened fire on the soldiers, who returned fire. Giammattei was about 2km away at the time.
"We inform the people of Guatemala and the international community that the president is unharmed and was evacuated from the area in a timely manner," a government statement said.
One of the gunmen, who is Mexican, was injured in the confrontation, the statement said. The others fled in the car towards the Mexican border about 80km away, it said.
Four Guatemalans were later detained by the Mexican military, the Guatemalan government said. Two rifle grenades were also found over the border in Mexico.
A press representative for Mexico's Secretariat of National Defence (Sedena) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- Reuters