A small New Mexico village once attacked by Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa is rejecting talk of a wall and troops while embracing its legacy along the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last week cited Villa’s 1916 raid of Columbus, New Mexico, as an example for why President Donald Trump was deploying active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
But village residents say those living on both sides of the border have co-existed peacefully since the Villa invasion.
Instead of soldiers, Columbus Mayor Esequiel Salas says residents would like to see better roads to bring tourists.
The village is about to launch a campaign called “Where Old Mexico Meets New Mexico” to memorialize Villa’s assault.