Members of a self-defence group are seen during a confrontation with armed groups as they try to recover the control of the municipality of Antunez, Michoacan State, Mexico, 10 January 2014. (EPA/ULISES RUIZ BASURTO)

Vigilante groups in Mexico have been legalised after refusing government requests to lay down their arms. Mexican authorities said the autodefensas, or “self-defence” groups, will be integrated into official units called the Rural Defence Corps as long as they submit a list of members to the Defence Department and register their weapons with the army. So, will this help the government's fight against drug traffickers in Michoacán state, or create the next big problem? We discuss at 19:30 GMT.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak with:

Steven Dudley @stevensdudley

Director, InSight Crime

insightcrime.org

Jasmine Garsd @JasGarsd

Journalist

Jorge Vazquez Valencia

Vigilante leader



What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.