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Guatemalans say no to violence with volcano protest
Around 12,000 Guatemalans climb an extinct volcano in a protest against domestic violence. An estimated 700 women are murdered each year in Guatemala.
Anti-domestic violence activists formed the number 2012 inside the crater of the Volcan de Agua volcano in Guatemala.
Anti-violence activists formed what they hope was the world's longest human chain all the way to the peak of the 3,765 metre Volcan de Agua.
Among those taking part in the "Walk for Life" was Guatemala's new President, Otto Perez Molina.
Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and domestic violence is a particular problem.
The Volcan de Agua or "Water Volcano" - also known as Hunahpu by the indigenous Maya - towers above the colonial city of Antigua, 45km southeast of Guatemala City.
"We want violence to end in this country, we don't want Guatemala to be one of the most violent countries in the world," President Perez Molina said as he joined the crowds hiking to the top.
Mr Perez Molina - a former army general - took office last week promising tough action against violent crime.
An estimated 700 women are murdered each year in Guatemala, and prosecutors receive more than 65,000 complaints of domestic violence a year.
The Central American country has one of the highest murder rates in the world, but less than 4% of cases end in a successful conviction.
The violence is partly seen as a legacy of the 1960-96 civil war between the state and left-wing guerrillas, in which more than 200,000 people were killed, most of them by the army.
