Update — Saturday, September 12, 2026, early hours: the PNC reports the highways clear. At 00:15 on Saturday the National Civil Police announced: “Se restableció la circulación en todo el país. Las carreteras se encuentran libres de bloqueos” — traffic restored nationwide, highways free of blockades (Prensa Libre live coverage, September 11). That closed the hardest day of the series: on Friday the 11th Provial reported up to nine points blocked at the same time (La Hora) and by the afternoon counted 13 points cleared with nine still active (TV Azteca Guatemala, citing Provial). There were clashes: at km 19 of the Pacific highway (CA-9 South, Villa Nueva) protesters and riot police fought, with tires and vehicles set on fire (18:10-18:30); in Cuyotenango two people were taken to hospital, one with a gunshot wound and one affected by tear gas (11:14); in Santa Isabel, Villa Nueva, “at least 12 people were affected by tear gas” (21:00) (Prensa Libre). AP reported two police officers wounded by gunfire and businesses looted (AP, via Local10); the police put the count at at least 150 detained and blamed gang infiltration for the violence (EFE, via Infobae, September 12). At 14:50 the Constitutional Court ordered the blockades cleared within six hours, “under warning of removal of the Interior Minister and the PNC director”; the deadline ran to about 02:00 on Saturday, and two justices (Annabella Morfín and Fernando Bermejo) voted against the time limit (Prensa Libre). Earlier, Interior Minister Marco Villeda had given “a half-hour deadline to begin voluntary unblocking” (AP). Watch Saturday: at 06:41 Prensa Libre reported one new point at Santo Domingo, Colomba Costa Cuca (Quetzaltenango). The series is not over while the decree stays unresolved.
Decree 21-2026 is still stuck in Congress. Around midday on September 10, Deputy Allan Rodríguez filed an objection to the decree, which stopped it from being sent to the Executive (planned for the 11th); the plenary will take it up on September 22, and only then can the decree move on to presidential sanction, publication in the Diario de Centro América and entry into force the day after. Prensa Libre’s summary: “for now there is no defined date, not even a tentative one, for the new prices to take effect” (Prensa Libre). Meanwhile the National Union of Guatemalan Transporters (Unitransgua) asked President Arévalo to veto the law because, in its view, the mechanism “lends itself to or facilitates corruption”, and it wants the fuel taxes removed instead (Emisoras Unidas, September 11).
| Point cleared on Friday the 11th (Provial, via TV Azteca) | Route |
|---|---|
| Prados de Villa Hermosa | Avenida Petapa |
| Los Esclavos, Santa Rosa | CA-1 East, km 67 |
| Calzada Roosevelt | CA-1 West |
| Cuyotenango, Suchitepéquez | CA-2 West, km 168 |
| Azacualpilla, Palencia | CA-9 North |
| Llano Largo | CA-9 North, km 17.5 |
| Cuesta del Águila | CA-9 North, km 13 |
| San Rafael entrance, Zone 18 | CA-9 North, km 18 |
| Río Hondo, Zacapa | CA-9 North, km 136 |
| San Julián, Alta Verapaz | CA-14, km 185 |
| Bethania, Zone 7 | Guatemala City |
| 8a Avenida between 9a and 10a Calle, Zone 1 | Guatemala City |
| El Boquerón, Esquipulas, San Marcos | RN-01, km 254 |
That is the list of 13 points TV Azteca Guatemala reported cleared during the afternoon of the 11th, citing Provial, while “another nine remain blocked”; among those nine were km 19 of the Pacific highway, km 15 of the Inter-American highway (Mixco) and km 13-14 of the Atlantic highway (Prensa Libre). All were clear by 00:15 on Saturday according to the PNC.
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 (Saturday, September 12, 2026): no active blockades per the PNC since 00:15, after Friday the 11th (up to nine points at once, clashes, a Constitutional Court order, at least 150 detained). One new point reported at 06:41 at Colomba Costa Cuca. Decree 21-2026 (diesel and regular at Q39, premium at Q41 per gallon) is stalled by an objection in Congress: the plenary takes it up September 22 and there is no date for the subsidy. Check your route live before driving; the series can restart.
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 | Friday, September 11, 2026: up to nine points blocked at once (Provial, via La Hora), 13 cleared and nine active by the afternoon (TV Azteca), clashes in Villa Nueva and Cuyotenango; the PNC restored traffic nationwide at 00:15 on Saturday the 12th (Prensa Libre). |
| 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). But the decree has not reached the Executive: Deputy Allan Rodríguez filed an objection on September 10 and the plenary takes it up on September 22; there is no date, not even a tentative one, for the caps to apply (Prensa Libre). On September 11 the Constitutional Court ordered the Interior Ministry and the PNC to clear the roads within six hours under warning of removal, and the PNC declared them clear at 00:15 on the 12th (Prensa Libre). |
| Next action | No new call to action confirmed as of September 12. The dates that move this series: the congressional plenary of September 22 (objection to the decree) and the Executive’s decision to sign or veto, which Unitransgua wants to be a veto. |
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 |
| September 10, 2026 | Deputy Allan Rodríguez files an objection to Decree 21-2026; its dispatch to the Executive (planned for the 11th) is postponed and the plenary will take it up September 22 | Prensa Libre |
| September 11, 2026 | Hardest day: up to nine points at once, 13 cleared and nine active by the afternoon; clashes at km 19 of the Pacific highway, Cuyotenango and Villa Nueva; the Constitutional Court orders the roads cleared within six hours; Unitransgua asks for a veto | Prensa Libre, TV Azteca, Emisoras Unidas |
| September 12, 2026 | 00:15: the PNC reports traffic restored nationwide; at least 150 detained; at 06:41 a new point at Colomba Costa Cuca | Prensa Libre, EFE/Infobae |
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?
As of the early hours of Saturday September 12, 2026, no: at 00:15 the PNC reported that traffic was restored nationwide and the highways are free of blockades (Prensa Libre live coverage). Friday September 11 was the hardest day of the series: Provial reported up to nine points blocked at once (La Hora) and by the afternoon counted 13 cleared and nine still active (TV Azteca Guatemala); there were clashes at km 19 of the Pacific highway, in Cuyotenango and in Villa Nueva; the Constitutional Court ordered the roads cleared within six hours; police reported at least 150 people detained (EFE). At 06:41 on Saturday Prensa Libre reported a new point at Santo Domingo, Colomba Costa Cuca (Quetzaltenango). Decree 21-2026 is still unresolved (an objection stalled it in Congress; the plenary takes it up September 22), so the series can restart: check Waze and the Provial and PNC accounts 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.
