Back in February, vigilantes in rural Mexico made news by turning suspected criminals over to the government. They are in the news again because in at least one place, they've turned to politics.
Worry grows over Mexico vigilante movement
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Worry grows over Mexico vigilante movement
Debate is intensifying over armed vigilante patrols that have sprung up in crime-plagued sections of rural Mexico, particularly in the state of Guerrero, where some patrols joined forces this week with a radical teachers union that has been wreaking havoc with massive protests, vandalism and violent confrontations with police.
The two groups, on the surface, would appear to have little in common. The vigilante patrols, typically made up of masked campesinos, are among dozens that have emerged in the countryside in recent months, purporting to protect their communities from the depredations of the drug cartels. The state-level teachers union, meanwhile, has taken to the streets to protest a sweeping education reform law backed by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto…The groups took part in their first joint demonstration this week in Chilpancingo, the capital of the southern state, which is home to the well-known resort city of Acapulco…
[T]here is concern that an already-volatile series of political protests may take on a violent edge.
In general, the idea of aggrieved campesinos taking up arms and demanding justice resonates deeply in the national mythos, and the vigilantes have been embraced in some quarters…
There have been problems, however. In February, a group in the Guerrero community of Las Mesas shot and injured two tourists… In March, federal authorities announced the arrest of 34 members of a self-defense group… alleging they were connected to the drug cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion…
Teaching Comparative blog entries are indexed.
The First Edition ofWhat You Need to Know: Teaching Toolsis now available from the publisher
