Around 19 children between 6 and 15 years old were presented as members of the vigilante group known as CRAC in Chilapa , Ayahualtempa , and José Joaquín Herrera in Guerrero .
According to local media, the children are being trained to protect themselves and their families against criminal groups who have been harassing the 16 communities that are part of the CRAC .
Many times, criminals target the vigilante’s wives and children in retaliation , which is why several children are learning to use weapons .
The video footage and photos of small children bearing rifles sparked criticism against the CRAC and the federal government .
After a video showing the children bearing rifles and guns went viral, the UNICEF slammed the training of children to use guns in Guerrero , one of the most violent regions in Mexico.
The images, which children doing military-style drills, emerged days after 10 local indigenous musicians were murdered by Los Ardillos , a local cartel, in Chilapa de Álvarez , one of the most violent municipalities in Guerrero .
Bernardino Sánchez Luna
, a leader of the vigilante group , said the federal security forces had failed to protect the area, which led residents to arm themselves, including children.
The children have been training for two months, mainly to defend themselves in case local cartel Los Ardillos attacks them and said the children will not be part of the vigilante groups .
The CRAC said they implemented this measure since neither the army , the National Guard , or state police have been able to stop the criminal group .
For years, Guerrero has allowed indigenous communities to form their own police according to traditional customs . In recent years such groups have flourished, along with other armed self-defense forces as rural communities seek alternatives to corrupt state security forces that work for drug cartels .
These self-defense groups have uneasy relations with state authorities ; however, some of these vigilante groups have been able to reduce the power of organized crime in some areas. Nevertheless, critics say they often serve as a front for rival criminal interests .
gm
