The stifling air hung heavy with the scent of sweat, fear, and desperation.

For three days, a group of Guatemalan prison guards had been held hostage inside the overcrowded, crumbling walls of the Granja Modelo de Rehabilitación prison.

The riot, sparked by a seemingly minor infraction, had quickly escalated into a full-blown siege, leaving the guards at the mercy of hundreds of enraged inmates.

The initial chaos had been terrifying.

Screams, the shattering of glass, the clang of makeshift weapons – it was a symphony of violence that left the guards scrambling for safety.

Overwhelmed, they were quickly rounded up, becoming bargaining chips in a desperate power play.

News of the hostage situation spread like wildfire, igniting national concern and sparking a tense standoff between authorities and the rioters.

Negotiations were fraught with difficulty.

The inmates' demands ranged from improvements to living conditions – an almost impossible feat given the prison's already deplorable state – to promises of reduced sentences and better healthcare.

The government, caught between the need to maintain order and the urgency of securing the guards' release, walked a tightrope of concession and firmness.

The three days stretched into an eternity for the hostages.

Deprived of food and water, subjected to verbal abuse and threats, they clung to the hope of survival.

Reports trickled out from within the prison walls, painting a grim picture: exhausted guards, surrounded by a volatile mob, their fate uncertain.

Families of the hostages anxiously awaited updates, their hopes fluctuating with each rumour and official statement.

Finally, after agonizing negotiations involving government officials, human rights organizations, and even the intervention of religious leaders, a breakthrough was reached.

A carefully crafted agreement, offering a mixture of immediate concessions and long-term promises of reform, was accepted by the inmates.

The release of the hostages was carefully orchestrated, with a small group of guards leaving the prison slowly, under the watchful eyes of armed forces.

As the freed guards emerged, gaunt and shaken but alive, a wave of relief washed over the waiting crowd.

The ordeal, however, was far from over.

The underlying issues that fuelled the riot – overcrowding, inadequate resources, systemic corruption – remained.

The release of the hostages served as a stark reminder of the dire conditions within Guatemala's prison system, a system desperately in need of reform, a reform that promised to be both challenging and essential.

The three-day siege served as a brutal, high-stakes negotiation that exposed the fragility of the system and the human cost of inaction.

Guatemalan authorities on Saturday freed nine prison guards who had been held hostage since Thursday by rioting inmates in Guatemala City, an official said.

Members of 's two largest gangs — — began rioting Tuesday in two prisons, demanding the return of 10 leaders who had been transferred to another facility and placed in solitary confinement.

José Portillo, Deputy Minister of Security, told The Associated Press that the guards released Saturday had been held by members of Mara Salvatrucha.

One prison official died Friday after being shot, authorities said, without providing further details.

Local media reported the shooting occurred at one of the prisons involved in the riots.

In another similar incident, anti-kidnapping teams freed 11 guards on Wednesday who were also held hostage by gang members in two Guatemalan prisons. Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez told The Associated Press that the rioters were demanding Guatemalan authorities return their leaders from the prison where they were transferred, Renovación I, to the prisons where they were able to lead the gangs and "exercised criminal power."

Guatemala has been plagued by the violent rivalry between the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13. they both seek to gain control of territory where they extort money from companies and individuals. 

At least 7 people were killed last month when armed MS-13 members stormed into the funeral of a Barrio 18 member who had been killed.

Earlier this year, President Trump designated MS-13 as a terrorist organization, placing it on that he said operate in the region and threaten public safety across the hemisphere. 

Last week, Mr. Trump , a source familiar with the matter told TheNews.