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Dario Lopez-Mills / AP
An armed and masked man guards a roadblock at the entrance to the community of Cruz Quemada, near Ayutla, early Saturday. Hundreds of men in the southern Mexico state of Guerrero have taken up arms to defend their villages against drug gangs, a vigilante movement born of frustration at extortion, killings and kidnappings in a region wracked by violence.
AYUTLA, Mexico — The young man at the roadside checkpoint wept softly behind the red bandanna that masked his face. At his side was a relic revolver, and his feet were shod in the muddy, broken boots of a farmer.
Haltingly, he told how his cousin's body was found in a mass grave with about 40 other victims of a drug gang. Apparently, the cousin had caught a ride with an off-duty soldier, and when gunmen stopped the vehicle, they killed everyone on the car.
"There isn't one of us who hasn't felt the pain ... of seeing them take a family member and not being able to ever get them back," said the young civilian self-defense patrol member, who identified himself as "just another representative of the people of the mountain."
Now he has joined hundreds of other men in the southern Mexico state of Guerrero who have taken up arms to defend their villages against drug gangs, a vigilante movement born of frustration at extortion, killings and kidnappings that local police are unable, or unwilling, to stop.
Vigilantes patrol a dozen or more towns in rural Mexico, the unauthorized but often tolerated edge of a growing movement toward armed citizen self-defense squads.
"The situation Mexico is experiencing, the crime, is what has given the communities the legitimacy to say, 'We will assume the tasks that the government has not been able to fulfill,'" said rights activist Roman Hernandez, whose group Tlachinollan has worked with the community forces.
The young man and his masked cohorts stop cars at a checkpoint along the two-lane highway that runs past mango and palm trees to Ayutla, a dusty town of concrete homes with red-tile roofs where pigs, chickens and skinny dogs root in the dirt.
Dario Lopez-Mills / AP
In this photo taken Friday, a masked and armed man checks the identity of a driver at a roadblock at the entrance to the town of El Pericon, Mexico.
The men wear fading T-shirts and leather sandals, and most are armed with old hunting rifles or ancient 20-gauge shotguns hanging from their shoulders on twine slings as they stop cars and check IDs.
Hunting 'los malos'
The reach of drug gangs based in Acapulco, about 45 miles away, had intensified to the point that they were demanding protection payments from almost anybody with any property.
In a region where farmworkers make less than $6 per day, the situation grew intolerable.
"When they extorted money from the rancher, he raised the price of beef, and the store owner raised the price of tortillas," said a defense-patrol commander who wore a brown ski mask.
Because the patrols are not formally recognized by the government — and they fear drug cartel reprisals — most members wear masks and refuse to give their full names.
The self-defense movement has spread to other towns and villages such as Las Mesas and El Pericon. Recently Associated Press journalists saw 200 to 300 masked, armed men patrolling in squad-size contingents and manning checkpoints. Some had only machetes, most had old single-shot, bolt-action rifles.
Waving guns, they stop each vehicle, and ask for driver's licenses or voter IDs, which they check against a handwritten list of "los malos," or "the bad guys." They sometimes search vehicles and drivers.
The movement so far seems to be well accepted by local residents.
"In less than a month, they have done something that the army and state and federal police haven't been able to do in years," said Lorena Morales Castro, who waited in a line of cars at a checkpoint Friday. "They are our anonymous heroes."
Some officials, too, have cautiously approved of the do-it-yourself police. Guerrero Gov. Angel Aguirre offered to supply them with uniforms so they wouldn't be confused with masked gang members, but he also said he is trying to eliminate the need for vigilantes by beefing up official forces.
But clearly, the vigilante squads here present problems. The vigilantes in Guerrero are holding, by their own account, 44 people accused of crimes ranging from homicide to theft.
Nobody outside the village of El Zapote, where they are being kept in a makeshift jail, knows what conditions they are being held in, or what charges, if any, there are against them.
Members of the vigilante squads in Guerrero say that what counts is their relationship with the community and resistance to corruption.
"When the people are united, it doesn't matter if it's a .22, a 16-gauge shotgun or 20-gauge. It's that when we are united, not even bullets from an AK-47 can defeat us," said the self-defense commander in Las Mesas. "They can't kill us all."
Mexico's drug war is also part of a drug culture with roots in music, movies and even religion.
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Leave a Comment:
It's ABOUT TIME the Mexicans actually DID SOMETHING to fight the cartels themselves!!!
They were following the Law. Thinking that the government was going to take care of bringing Justice to their lives, which it didn't or couldn't.
To bad the guns from "Fast and Furious" went to the wrong people!
So what is it, with relation to the" types of guns", that is wrong with our 2nd Amendment?
You never know what the future will bring! Being well armed helps moderate any extremist possibilities.
Thank God some decent people are finally standing up in Mexico.
To bad Mexico has such strict gun laws. Illegally armed citizens are fighting to survive the heavily armed criminals.
I usually rip Mexicans but I salute this town and it's brave Men and women.
Out of groups of armed citizens hopefully some true leaders will emerge. Real men. Brave men.
I would like to donate to these people. Anyone know how to do that?
I'm poor but could scrape up 50-100 bucks for their just cause.
The Mexicans who worked in this country sent their money home..Why aren't they taking back their country and supporting these groups.
It's not Mexico's problem, it's ours. We created it. We are where the demand for drugs exists. If I was the Mexican government I would give the drug cartels free access to the borders in exchange for peace and a small tax.
Dave you are an idiot. They make the drugs, they sell the drugs and they bring the drugs here.
They are responsible for their own actions. No one is forced to become a cartel member. No one is forced to murder for money.
MEXICO--THE LAND OF THE LOST
$113,000,000,000,00--This years cost US illegal immigration--Approximatly 75 % of that cost is absorbed by the states
$52,000,000,000.00-cost of educating the children of illegals
$2,000,000,000.00-Cost of keeping the Mexicans in prison--400,000
1,400,000- illegal Mexican household drawing benefits such as food stamps--wic--subdized housing--school lunches-medicaid-supplementary social secrity.
$1,117.00--The avgerageamount yoy and your familey paid in taxes to support illegals
Sad to report--a one mont old baby girl raped in the city of Albuquerque, N.M.--by a illegal Mexican named Juan Galindo-$1-million dollars bail--he was arrested for serial assult-had vag-inal tears with two black eyes--baby found in a pool of her own blood
Illegal Mexicans have spread the ---TB-----germs --Ventura Beach--California
Deport all illegals--including the kids--the illegal Mexican women come to the United States when they are eight months pregnant--in 30-day a new citizen--gets all benefits--the food stamp card is issued in the babys name
How about eliminating the "fuel" propelling the Mexican Drug Cartels by doing what the states of Colorado and Washington did in November - legalize the recreational use of marijuana Nationwide. The resultant "sin tax" could go a long way toward easing the pains we are all going to feel with the pending draconian budget cuts in D.C.
Agreed. Finally they show some backbone and do what is right. Now if they would just stand up to their own corrupt government.
Why don't you show some "backbone" and stand up to your own corrupt government before picking on the Mexicans.....
RandogM, that's a good idea. Any suggestions on how to get past the army of idiots supporting the corrupt government?
All illegals should be rounded up--put on airplanes--buses shipped back to Mexico--they are law breakers---illegal is illegal--if I break the law I go to jail--a non-citizen goes free
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE AMERICA------LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE
@Alan Fisher, Says the guy who wants to impeach the democratically elected president of the United States or better yet, create a whitetopia in the south. You people are just delusional fools
The exit is over there. Don't let the door hit your rear on the way out.
too bad these poor bastards are out gunned. there shot guns at best is only good really close. i salute there bravery, this is a good example why you should not take the guns away from the citizen.
The shotgun isn't as powerful as the angry mob. Machetes are nothing to laugh at.
I got chased by 3 guys with machetes once and it will put some pep in your step.
Oh how I miss Nicaragua.
This stuff happened in Colombia and is called Limpieza, a cleaning. It is an informal manifestation of neo-feudalism, where so much of policing and security is done by the private sector. Even in the poorest barrios in Colombia the residents create an Auto-defensa and was part of the Urribe idea of block by, neighborhood by neighborhood, sector by sector, barrio by barrio, city by city, region by region.
I had been saying this for quite a while, that the Mexicans need to move into extrajudicial measures that are justified by the crisis to take back their towns. Guerro has been a hell for some time now. It is to where the only areas that had been even remotely safe where the south side of acapulco and ixtapa and even then, the US had issue advisories that said to fly into those regions and avoid the roads. The cost and price of this crime to the people in guerro is staggering. There is no reason that one of the most massive migrations and transfers of wealth as boomers age should not occurring in what could an incredible sharing of two linked cultures.
No it is not too late. The people of Colombia were on the brink and they have come back to be one of safest countries in Latin America. Yes, criminal organizations have eyes and ears everywhere but so do the people and they have phones, cameras, text and other ways to be eyes and ears.
It's ABOUT TIME
I think they are a step closer to civil war.
Or has it already started?
Explain how this would be civil War and who would be against who.
Actually save the environment: has a good point MC Gusto. One of the reasons the central government has such strict gun laws, is that they fear they may have another southern Mexico revolution.
So they instituted strict gun laws, out of fear their own people would revolt over their corruption.
Same as the US , In a few years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_Army_of_National_Liberation
Oh come on MC, use your imagination.
Damn!!! What's a criminal to do against an armed populace???? I guess I'll have to go "straight" at least until the libs can convince everyone that all guns should be criminalized!!! GO LIBS!!! Criminalize those guns so only criminals can have them!!!!
:-)
Hot pic........... are you single?
Hahyahahahahaha! Too f'n awesome! C4u & Gusto, best comments of the day!
Gusto. It was love at first sight for me too! On the downside, I feel like the whole "Road Warrior" look kind of went out of style in the late eighties.....
Criminal; While I grimace when I look at your pic, I like your comments.
It's difficult to see what other course of action the peaceful people of Mexico can take.
They distrust the corrupt police,the corrupt prison guards,the corrupt courts,the corrupt attorneys,and the corrupt elected officials.With no legal recourse they are reverting to the old fashioned method of control.
It might be more helpful if they did like the container ports around the world do--pay for Gurkhas to restore order.Perhaps the Pan American Union working with Venezuela could help Mexico restore order with these payments.
Do not worry if they are smart they will ambush and acquire weapons equal to the dealers. Some liquor and female distractions will go far.
Can't imagine the horrible terrorist acts that will follow the Americans losing their gun rights. The terrorist from all around the world will laugh their as-ses off at our stupidity.
won't happen,at least until after the 2014 mid term elections because 8 or 9 Democrat Senators are up for reelection in 2014 in States Obama only got 42% of the vote or less..Gun control for 2013 and 2014 is dead on arrival in Congress.
I see nothing funny about loosing any of our rights.
In yet you think nothing of the Government reading your e-mails and listening to your international calls... So, giving up personal freedoms such as this is okay to you. But loosing your right to own an assult weapon is terrible! I think you need medication.
Giving away a right is easy. Reclaiming it ??? Doubtful..............
That would mean the government will voluntarily give away power. A rare event historically.
Over 20,000,000 illegals in America--a eleven year old gir was raped by a illegal--he was from Honduras--the raped in Orlando -Florida
Funny, how a yawn, or rolled eyes, brings more national attention than this story.
On second thought...it's NOT funny. It's a sad comment on our society.
These men are heroes. They have to act to save their homes and families. The gangs are beyond the governments control. The sad thing is, they will be murdered. But maybe it is better to die a martyr, than a lamb.
I went home this past week end--Wauchula--Florida--Three Mexicans illegals arrested in slashing deth of Frostproof man--Romeo Augusto Lemos------Jorge Santos Mata--and his brother---Jose Santos Mata---they slashed the throat of ------Julio Villatoro---they slashed his throat and threw him in a pond --The three were charged with murder--the cost of keeping the three in prison for many years will be millions of dollars--Lakeland --Polk County Sheriff's office charged the three men
I'm curious as to why NBC changed the format about news from Mexico several months ago. It is now non existent and months out of date when you click on the Mexico blog on the World News page.
What was the problem with the original format? Too many negative posts about illegal aliens and the president's lack of action regarding security on the Southern border?
Well, election's over, he won. Can you put it back the way it was, please?
This is what the NRA envisions for the USA.
Not just the NRA, it's also what the founders envisioned. The right of the people to be bear arms.
theyre dead
Never underestimate the power of an angry mob.
These are brave and steadfast people. The people that ran to the US are cowards. If you run from your problems you only run into a new set of problems. Those that come here run into issues with immigration (and rightfully so). Take care of the terrible issues in your own country before you impose it onto another. This works just as well for individuals. Everybody has issues. Take care of your own before looking down your big nose into others. You haven't walked in their shoes or seen through their eyes.
Farmers and craftsmen must pick up arms and defend themselves from criminals their government should be protecting them from. It is good to see they have the backbone to fight rather than give in to defeat. I wish them luck in securing safety and security in their homeland.
ok for you idiots like mc gusto... some of them are forced to go in the cartel you retard
You might get more action for your ideas, if you resort to name calling. It shows how much class you have. Or not.
Why doe the CIA not assist them?
the cia is the cartel.........
this will come to us......
our government, police, county leaders and lawyers are just as corrupt.......
our money is extorted in taxes by fear.........
we only except it due to brainwashing that we live by the RULE OF LAW.........
we are not enlightened........
we are slaves.....
the Bell will toll
If citizens in Chicago were to do this, they would be shot down by the corrupt cops.
This is great news.
It's going to very hard for these hero's. Their government has taken away their right to own an "assault type rifle".
Viva Mexico !
Our press is as uninformed and corrupt as our leadership, but it is the press' responsibility to be informed, and inform us. They are lying to us. Cartels in Mexico, just like cartels anywhere, are not drug cartels. Cartels are criminal enterprizes and they will do anything that makes them money. Mexican cartels are people smuggling, people hiring entities that also smuggle drugs. They supply illegal workers into the U. S labor market for money. they are paid by members of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce to supplant U. S. workers. The drugs are a sideline. If our government would go after the real villians here, U. S. companies that hire illegal workers, the cartels would wither.
Guns bans only work for law abiding citizens. It leaves citizens vulnerable to corrupt governments and street criminals. Mexico's criminals have gotten their weapons from Russia China US and the Middle East. Once the Mexican people came under complete gun bans their crime rate went through the roof. Over 55,000 incidents of violence in the last three years. Now American politicians are trying to neuter its citizens and they have been doing it one step at a time one restrictive law at a time. These traitors to the Constitution may find themselves in their own lifetimes being convicted of treason.
Look at history every time a government has disarmed its citizens it has become increasing dictatorial. When people protest they get their heads bashed and that is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is a Totalitarian government like China Russia Nazi Germany etc. These governments together butchered hundreds of millions of civilians. All these governments first took the weapons then they took peoples rights then they took their peoples lives.
I feel like I want to go down there and support these brave men and women who have the courage to stand up and take back their country from thugs, gangs, and corrupt police and politicians. These are real hero's in my book, I hope we as Americans will stand with them and let them know we support them and respect them.
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"