Students mock US President, local politicians in Guatemala parade

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April 8, 2017 12:23 AM

University students take part in the traditional "Huelga de Todos los Dolores" (Strike of All Sorrows) parade that takes place during Lent, and during which students satirize and make fun of politicians, in Guatemala City, on April 7, 2017

Thousands of university students paraded through the capital of Guatemala on Friday in a traditional march to criticize and mock political issues, including this year US President Donald Trump.

"Trump: a racist and fascist gringo," read one of the placards held up, depicting the US leader dressed as the devil.

The annual parade, held by students of San Carlos University, is a 119-year-old tradition meant to satirically foreshadow more conventional marches held a week later, during the pre-Easter Semana Santa holiday period.

In recent years, it has focused on corruption and pervasive violence in Guatemala, and on President Jimmy Morales's government.

A tragic fire in a children's shelter last month that killed 41 girls was one major theme among a slew of complaints this year. But Trump was a favored target.

"Poverty and joblessness can't be held back with walls," another placard read, combining domestic complaints with Trump's plan to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to keep out undocumented migrants.

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