In a lawless stretch of western Mexico, children as young as 6 years old are taking up arms against organized crime.
On Wednesday, 19 children were inducted into a vigilante group that for years has been battling drug gangs in restive Guerrero state. Local journalists published photographs and videos of the induction ceremony — in which uniformed, rifle-wielding children performed military style exercises — that drew outrage across Mexico, with human rights officials condemning it as child abuse.
Photos of rifle-wielding children performing military style exercises — that drew outrage across Mexico, with human rights officials condemning it as child abuse.Two of the children who were trained were 6 years- old, he said. The oldest members of the group were 15.have emerged in Guerrero. They say they are defending themselves from local criminal gangs that control drug smuggling routes and extort businesses in the region.
After the musicians were killed, local residents reacted angrily, blocking roads and demanding that government authorities intervene. They were particularly upset about the death of the youngest band member, who was 15 years old, Sanchez said. Asked about the child soldiers in Guerrero, Lopez Obrador refrained from condemning the practice and returned to his security strategy, which he said will make it so young people don’t have to take up arms.
Sanchez responded by saying human rights officials should not criticize self-defense groups that are only trying to protect children.
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