Armed villagers pose at the entrance to their village of Castanas, on the outskirts of Guatemala City. The villagers formed the armed group to defend themselves in response to a recent extortion threat by the Mara Salvatrucha criminal gang (Photograph: Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters via Guardian)

Armed villagers pose at the entrance to their village of Castanas, on the outskirts of Guatemala City. The villagers formed the armed group to defend themselves in response to a recent extortion threat by the Mara Salvatrucha criminal gang (Photograph: Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters via Guardian)