Update — Thursday, September 10, 2026, 08:40: active blockades on CA-9 and CA-2. Transport guilds — Infobae names Gretexpa (intercity passenger transport) and Gretrucex (cargo) — have been blocking highways since Wednesday September 9 to protest Decree 21-2026, the fuel price-cap law Congress passed as a national-urgency measure with 130 votes (Diario de Centro América). Per Provial, as reported by Prensa Libre, La Hora and Infobae, these were still closed in both directions on Thursday morning: CA-9 South km 37 (San Vicente Pacaya / Palín, Escuintla), CA-2 West km 168 (Cuyotenango, Suchitepéquez) and CA-9 North km 126 (Santa Cruz Río Hondo, Zacapa); CA-9 North km 136 (Río Hondo) reopened around 07:00. At 08:39 Prensa Libre added CA-2 km 91.5 (Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa) and a blockade in Zone 1 of Guatemala City (8a Avenida between 9a and 10a Calle). Wednesday saw up to eight blockades (Infobae). The guilds want the president to veto the decree and suspend VAT and the fuel tax (IDP) instead; Infobae lists three alternatives they put forward: a six-month tax suspension, a direct subsidy of Q15 per gallon of diesel and Q8 per gallon of gasoline, or a permanent compensation-fund law. The DGAC denied rumours of a blockade at La Aurora airport (Prensa Libre). This page is not a minute-by-minute feed: for live status use Waze and the official Provial and PNC accounts.
| Point (Sep 10, 08:40) | Road | Status |
|---|---|---|
| San Vicente Pacaya / Palín, Escuintla | CA-9 South, km 37 | Closed both directions (since Sep 9 afternoon) |
| Cuyotenango, Suchitepéquez | CA-2 West, km 168 | Closed both directions |
| Santa Cruz Río Hondo, Zacapa | CA-9 North, km 126 | Closed both directions |
| Río Hondo, Zacapa | CA-9 North, km 136 | Reopened ~07:00 |
| Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, Escuintla | CA-2, km 91.5 | Closed (reported 08:39) |
| Guatemala City, Zone 1 | 8a Avenida, between 9a and 10a Calle | Closed |
Source for the points: Provial, via Prensa Libre / La Hora / Infobae (September 10, 2026). Times are Guatemala time.
Update — Tuesday, August 25, 2026: a scheduled overnight closure. The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) announced that the Aguilar Batres–Periférico bridge will be closed in both directions from 00:00 to 02:00 on Wednesday, August 26, while the road-conservation unit COVIAL runs technical studies to assess the bridge’s structural condition and define a permanent fix (AGN, August 25, 2026). It is two hours overnight, not an indefinite closure — outside that window the crossing stays open. If you drive the Periférico or Calzada Aguilar Batres at night, plan an alternate route for that slot.
This follows SE-CONRED Bulletin 262-2026 (August 19, 2026), which reported severe structural damage at that bridge — loss of concrete cover with reinforcing steel exposed, and severe damage at a structural joint with corrosion, cracks, infiltration and spalling — and recommended a specialist structural evaluation and limiting heavy traffic, referring the case to CIV, COVIAL, the municipality, EMETRA and AVE (CONRED). CONRED does not close bridges; this closure is the first operational step by the agencies that do.
Update — Thursday, August 7, 2026: No blockade or protest is announced for today in the capital. The fuel-price series is not over, though. On August 3 the taxi drivers’ association (APTG) ran its announced caravan from Molino de las Flores (Mixco) to Congress, keeping to the right lane to limit traffic impact (Emisoras Unidas); drivers from several departments joined (Canal Antigua). That same day Congress postponed its response to the fuel-price issue for lack of agreement (Infobae) — and the association has warned it could resume caravans and blockades if the government doesn’t act. No new date has been announced.
Quick summary: Today (Thursday, September 10, 2026) there are blockades: transport guilds are closing stretches of CA-9 South (km 37), CA-2 (km 168 and km 91.5) and CA-9 North (km 126) against Decree 21-2026, which caps diesel and regular gasoline at Q39 and premium at Q41 per gallon and awaits the Executive’s signature. CA-9 North km 136 has reopened. Check your route live before driving toward Escuintla, the Pacific coast, Suchitepéquez or Zacapa.
Where the fuel-price standoff stands
| Who | Transport guilds — Infobae names Gretexpa (intercity buses) and Gretrucex (cargo); Prensa Libre also places the 48 Cantones of Totonicapán and Sololá indigenous authorities among the sectors applying pressure. The July-August series was the taxi drivers’ association (APTG). |
| Demands | A presidential veto of Decree 21-2026; suspend VAT and the fuel tax (IDP) instead of a subsidy (Prensa Libre cites a Q30-per-gallon target). Infobae lists three alternatives: a six-month tax suspension, a direct subsidy of Q15/gallon of diesel and Q8/gallon of gasoline, or a permanent compensation-fund law. |
| Latest action | Blockades on September 9-10, 2026 on CA-9 South, CA-9 North and CA-2 (up to eight points Wednesday; four at dawn Thursday, per Provial) |
| Government response | Congress passed Decree 21-2026 as a national-urgency measure (130 votes): consumer price caps of Q39/gallon for diesel and regular gasoline and Q41/gallon for premium, with a compensation mechanism (DCA). The decree is on its way to sanction and publication; the energy ministry (MEM) will issue the regulations (Perspectiva). President Arévalo said the Executive is ready to implement it. |
| Next action | No end date announced as of September 10; the guilds tie lifting the blockades to the Executive’s response on the decree. |
Timeline of this protest series
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 21, 2026 | Taxi drivers blocked Calzada Roosevelt at km 15, paralyzing that access into the capital | Infobae |
| July 29, 2026 | APTG proposed temporarily eliminating fuel taxes | Emisoras Unidas |
| July 31, 2026 | The announced caravan was suspended and rescheduled to August 3 | Prensa Libre, Publinews |
| August 3, 2026 | Caravan from Molino de las Flores (Mixco) to Congress, right-lane only; drivers from several departments joined | Emisoras Unidas, Canal Antigua |
| August 3, 2026 | Congress postponed its response to the fuel-price issue for lack of agreement | Infobae |
| September 8, 2026 | Congress passed Decree 21-2026 as a national-urgency measure (130 votes): diesel and regular at Q39, premium at Q41 per gallon | DCA |
| September 9, 2026 | Up to eight blockades by transport guilds on main highways (CA-9, CA-2) against the decree | Infobae |
| September 10, 2026 | Four points closed at dawn: CA-9 South km 37, CA-2 km 168, CA-9 North km 126 and km 136 (the last reopened ~07:00); CA-2 km 91.5 and Zone 1 added later | La Hora, Prensa Libre |
The backdrop is fuel prices. See our live gas price tracker and prices by department for current numbers.
How to check your route live
An announcement tells you where a protest STARTS, not where traffic will be an hour later. Before heading out:
- Waze or Google Maps with the traffic layer — a blockade shows dark red with user reports at the exact spot. Fastest way to pick an alternate route.
- The municipal transit police (PMT) official social accounts — Guatemala City and Mixco post same-day closures and detours.
- Live news radio — Emisoras Unidas and Sonora typically follow caravanas point by point.
- PROVIAL publishes intercity highway status (CA-1, CA-9) if a protest moves outside the metro area.
If you have to travel on a protest day
La Aurora airport (Zone 13): this series has centered on the west side (Mixco, Roosevelt) and the civic center; the airport is south of downtown. A blockade on Roosevelt or the Periférico still backs up the whole city — leave 1-2 hours earlier. Route context: Guatemala City airport to Antigua.
Antigua ↔ Guatemala City: the CA-1 west corridor passes the Mixco/San Lucas area. If you’re shuttling on an announced protest day, check live traffic before departure.
Chicken buses and shuttles: operators reroute or hold departures during blockades; confirm with your shuttle company the morning of travel.
If you are not Guatemalan and wondering where you stand legally — as a bystander, a resident or someone caught in the middle of one of these actions — the published instruments are set out in can a foreigner join a protest in Guatemala?: Constitución Art. 33, the Código de Migración obligations clause, and what changes once an estado de prevención is decreed.
This page is updated when a major action is announced in the capital or on main highways. Last review: September 10, 2026, 08:40.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Periferico and Aguilar Batres bridge closed?
Yes, but only for two hours overnight. On August 25, 2026 the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) announced that the Aguilar Batres-Periferico bridge will be CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS from 00:00 to 02:00 on Wednesday August 26, 2026, while COVIAL (the national road-conservation unit) runs technical studies to assess the bridge’s structural condition and define a permanent fix (AGN/CIV). Outside that window the crossing stays open. The background: on August 19 SE-CONRED published Bulletin 262-2026 after inspecting the bridge at the Anillo Periferico and Calzada Aguilar Batres intersection (Zone 11) and found loss of concrete cover with reinforcing steel exposed, plus severe damage at a structural joint, with corrosion, cracks, water infiltration and spalling. CONRED RECOMMENDED a specialist structural evaluation and limiting heavy traffic, and referred the case to CIV, COVIAL, the Guatemala City municipality, EMETRA and AVE. CONRED does not close bridges - that call belongs to those agencies, and this two-hour closure is the first measure announced.
Are there road blocks in Guatemala today?
Yes. On Thursday September 10, 2026 transport guilds are blocking intercity highways to protest Decree 21-2026 (fuel price caps). Per Provial, as reported by Prensa Libre, La Hora and Infobae, at 08:40 these were still closed in both directions: CA-9 South km 37 (San Vicente Pacaya, Escuintla), CA-2 West km 168 (Cuyotenango, Suchitepéquez) and CA-9 North km 126 (Santa Cruz Río Hondo, Zacapa); CA-9 North km 136 (Río Hondo) reopened around 07:00. Prensa Libre later added CA-2 km 91.5 (Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa) and a point in Guatemala City Zone 1 (8a Avenida between 9a and 10a Calle). Wednesday September 9 saw up to eight blockades. It changes hourly: check Waze and Provial before you leave.
Why are taxi drivers protesting in Guatemala?
Fuel prices. The association (APTG) proposes eliminating the petroleum-derivatives tax (IDP) and VAT on fuel; it rejected the Executive’s subsidy proposal and opposes the ethanol blending mandate (Emisoras Unidas). Congress took up the fuel-price issue on August 3 but postponed a response for lack of agreement (Infobae).
Which roads have been blocked in previous protests?
On July 21, 2026 taxi drivers blocked Calzada Roosevelt at km 15 and paralyzed that western access into Guatemala City (Infobae). The August 3 action was different: a caravan from Molino de las Flores (Mixco) to Congress that kept to the right lane to limit traffic impact (Emisoras Unidas). Past routes don’t guarantee future ones — check the announcement each time.
Will a protest affect my ride to La Aurora airport?
It depends on the route each protest takes. The airport is in Zone 13, south of downtown; this series has centered on the west side (Mixco, Calzada Roosevelt) and the civic center. A blockade on a main artery (Roosevelt, Periférico, Calzada San Juan) backs up traffic across the city in a chain reaction. If you fly on a protest day, leave 1-2 hours earlier and check live traffic first. On September 10, 2026 the civil aviation authority (DGAC) denied rumours of an airport blockade: La Aurora was operating normally (Prensa Libre).
How do I check if my route is blocked right now?
Fastest tools: the Waze or Google Maps traffic layer (a blockade shows as dark red with user reports at the exact spot), the official social accounts of the municipal transit police (PMT), and live news radio (Emisoras Unidas, Sonora). For intercity highways (CA-1, CA-9), PROVIAL publishes road-status reports.
How often do road blocks happen in Guatemala?
There is no fixed calendar — unions and organizations call them, sometimes with only days of notice. The current fuel-price series by taxi drivers had three actions in two weeks (July 21 blockade, a July 31 caravan postponed to August 3, and the August 3 caravan to Congress), and the association has warned of more if there’s no deal. This page is updated when a major action is announced in the capital or on main highways.
