Five men lynched in Guatemala after allegations of theft after quake

In the aftermath of a magnitude 5.7 earthquake, the 5 men were accused of robbing damaged homes successful the Santa Maria de Jesus municipality.

Five men person been lynched aft agrarian assemblage members accused them of robbing damaged homes pursuing an earthquake that struck Guatemala and caused wide damage.

Police spokesperson Cesar Mateo told the AFP quality bureau connected Friday nighttime that the men were accused of utilizing the acheronian of the nighttime to interruption into homes pursuing the tremors, which led radical to slumber successful shelters oregon with relatives.

“While it’s existent that robbery is illegal, lynching is besides a crime,” Mateo said.

Guatemala’s Ministry of the Interior said residents of Santa Maria de Jesus municipality searched for the men precocious connected Thursday and past blocked authorities who tried to detain and instrumentality them away.

Residents bushed the men with sticks and stones and past burned them successful the community, which lies successful the Sacatepequez section southwest of the capital.

Santa Maria de Jesus was the worst-affected country by the earthquake that created tremors of up to 5.7 magnitude. At slightest 7 radical were killed crossed Guatemala aft Tuesday’s earthquake.

Vigilante unit is simply a recurrent effect to criminals who are not prosecuted successful Guatemala.

According to a section civilian nine organisation, betwixt 2008 and 2020, vigilante justness near 361 radical dormant and 1,396 injured successful the country.

The earthquake near Santa Maria de Jesus, location to an Indigenous Mayan community, without power, portion entree to roads was chopped disconnected by landslides.

The authorities flew successful humanitarian assistance to Santa Maria de Jesus to assistance residents.

The catastrophe coordination agency, Conred, which has been evaluating the level of harm successful affected areas, said a transportation of star lamps, buckets, mats, mosquito nets, blankets and room kits has been received from the United Nations exile bureau (UNHCR).

In a abstracted connection connected Friday, the bureau said it was continuing to assist, including the “mobilisation and transportation of humanitarian aid” to parts of the country.