Mexican villages arm children in desperate bid for attention

AYAHUALTEMPA, Mexico (AP) — Caring for goats or cows are among the typical chores for children in the mountains of Mexico’s Guerrero state. But when the press comes to the Indigenous village of Ayahualtempa, there is another task for the youngsters — parading with firearms. They pull on their community police shirts, cover their faces with handkerchiefs, grab their guns and line up in formation on the town’s basketball court. When their instructor gives the order they march for the cameras. The images are jarring, but the spectacle is a desperate attempt by some remote communities to attract the federal government’s attention. Their message is simple: “Without government protection we have to defend ourselves, even if that means arming our children.”