© Alan Ortega/ReutersLidia Romero (c.), a member of the Community Police, stands guard on a road at the entrance to the town of Cherán one week ago. Residents of remote regions have taken up arms to patrol and defend their communities from organized crimes and gangs.
The indigenous town of Cherán used to be like many places in Mexico, caving under the weight of drug-related crime and a police force that did little to stop it.
But about two years ago, citizens here threw out the police, and took over their local government, running the town according to indigenous tradition. So far, they've had remarkable success.
Indigenous autonomy movements, like the one in Cherán, are a trend throughout Latin America, scholars say, from movements like the Zapatistas in Chiapas in the 1990s; to communities seeking to self-govern today in places like Chile and Bolivia.
The response from national governments can vary wildly, says Shannon Speed, professor of anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin.
"Cherán has been in part so successful because of the particular context in which it happened, one in which government doesn't have much control to begin with. So it's pretty happy to say, 'Sure, go govern yourself,'" says Ms. Speed, who specializes in indigenous issues, human rights, and the law.
As Mexico's drug violence progresses, and more citizen self-defense groups spring up, what makes Cherán unique is its focus on a formal system of indigenous autonomy, rather than vigilante justice, and the fragile peace that persists.
