Golf Course Critics Take 7 Hostages

Villagers armed with rocks, knives and sharpened sticks took seven officials hostage Sunday to protest plans to build a golf club in their town south of the capital, reports said.

The villagers were holding the officials inside Tepoztlan City Hall, the official Notimex news agency reported.

The hostages reportedly included Victor Manuel Saucede, interior undersecretary for Morelos state, who telephoned local Police Chief Juan Manuel Arino Sanchez and asked him to keep officers out of town.

Earlier in the day, up to 3,000 angry residents crowded the main plaza in this town of 13,000 to protest the construction.

Residents of Tepoztlan, located in Morelos state about 25 miles south of Mexico City, oppose the country club, which they say will ruin their community’s charm.

Unlike their counterparts in the United States, developers in Mexico do not have to seek community approval for their projects.