Guatemala

Grapevine: Paraguay’s ambassador brings longstanding pro-Israel ties to Jerusalem

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

|ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
Paraguayan Ambassador Alejandro Rubin Cymerman (L) with President Isaac Herzog at his Jerusalem residence, 2024.
An inmate looks out from a security tower at the Renovacion 1 prison, as inmates at three Guatemalan prisons rioted on Saturday and took mostly prison guards hostage, authorities said, in Escuintla, Guatemala, January 17, 2026.

Guatemalan inmates riot at three prisons, taking 46 people hostage

Inmates, some wearing jumpsuits but most in tank tops and shorts, their faces covered by masks improvised with pieces of clothing, watched from above, perched in the prison's patrol towers.

|ByREUTERS
Elazar Rumpler, a senior leader within haredi cult Lev Tahor, appearing in the Jerusalem District Court for a hearing in 2020; illustrative.

Jerusalem court sends senior Lev Tahor cult leader Elazar Rumpler to prison in child abuse case

Elazar Rumpler, a Lev Tahor haredi cult leader, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a total of NIS 22,000 in fines and compensation for assaulting a 10-year-old child.

|ByJAMES GENN
Lev Tahor member Yoel Alter, 35, is escorted by Guatemalan police officers after being arrested at court in Guatemala City on January 24, 2025.

Leader of ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect extradited to Mexico, charged with human trafficking

Yoel Alter, who is suspected of holding a senior rank in the cult, was arrested for charges of organized crime and human trafficking in Guatemala in January at the request of Mexican authorities

|ByELI LEON

At least 15 dead, 19 injured in Guatemala bus accident

The bus plunged into a ravine in an area known for dense fog that reduces visibility for drivers.

DECEMBER 27, 2025ByREUTERS
Police officers load the bodies of the victims who died in a road accident onto a truck at Cumbre de Alaska in Totonicapan, Guatemala, on December 27, 2025.

Colombian authorities, Interpol rescue 17 minors from ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect

Five of the minors had an Interpol Yellow Notice, used in cases of missing persons and human trafficking. The Lev Tahor victims were nationals from the United States, Canada, and Guatemala.

NOVEMBER 24, 2025ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
Minors rescued in Colombia from the Lev Tahor sect.

If there’s famine in Gaza, there’s famine almost everywhere - opinion

If Gaza’s malnutrition crisis merits the word “famine,” then Guatemala’s deserves it, too.

OCTOBER 8, 2025BySAM GLASSENBERG
A sign showing the signs of malnourishment in children hangs on a wall in a nutritional recovery center in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala August 16, 2023.

Police find infant, four US minors' remnants in Lev Tahor raid - KAN

"The safety of US citizens is our top priority," the US Embassy in Guatemala tweeted, thanking the local government for its assistance.

MAY 15, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Members of the Lev Tahor Jewish community stand outside the facilities of the Guatemala Attorney General's Office after Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and adolescents from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala December 20, 2024.

Human remains in Guatemala's Cueva de Sangre reveal ancient Maya ritual sacrifices

Archaeologists found items known to have been used in rituals, such as obsidian blades and red ochre, in the cave.

MAY 11, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Human remains in Guatemala's Cueva de Sangre reveal ancient Maya ritual sacrifices.

Between cultures and craters: Exploring Jewish life in Guatemala

Guatemala’s relationship with the Jewish people is a testament to the power of shared values and mutual respect.

APRIL 5, 2025ByNOAM BEDEIN
Israeli flag in Panajachel. A bold statement of friendship between Guatemala and Israel, it flies proudly on the shores of Lake Atitlán.

Lev Tahor cult leader arrested in El Salvador, to be extradited to Israel

Rumpler is wanted on charges of serious child abuse and attempted to leave Guatemala on a fake passport after previously being placed under a travel ban, according to reports in Israeli media.

JANUARY 14, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Eliezer Rumpler, from the Lev Tahor Haredi Jewish sect arrives to the Jerusalem District Court for a court hearing on June 28, 2020.

INTERPOL issues Red Notice for Lev Tahor fugitive accused of rape, human trafficking

Guatemala has issued an arrest warrant against Castillo, who has been declared a fugitive.

DECEMBER 29, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
INTERPOL wanted page for Jonathan Emmanuel Cardona Castillo.

Relative of rescued Lev Tahor member discusses group's psychological abuse - interview

Oded Twik emotionally described the most meaningful moments in the process of rescuing family members from the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala.

DECEMBER 24, 2024ByMAYA COHEN, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A Lev Tahor members demands the release of members of the community after prosecutors say Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and teenagers from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, December 21, 2024.

Guatemalan authorities rescue 160 children from Jewish Lev Tahor cult

Guatemalan authorities determined that the Lev Tahor cult engaged in human trafficking against minors.

DECEMBER 21, 2024ByREUTERS
Members of the Lev Tahor Jewish community stand outside the facilities of the Guatemala Attorney General's Office after Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and adolescents from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala December 20, 2024.