The Mexican flag flies over the city of Palomas, just over the border from the city of Columbus, New Mexico. Today Palomas is a town frequented by American tourists (like me) who cross over to shop and eat — the Pink House (second image) is its most famous establishment. (It even has its own Wikipedia page!)
Historically, Palomas is important because it was the launching point for Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s attack on the U.S. city of Columbus, in 1916. (See the third and fourth images for a picture of Villa and the location of Palomas.)
This was the decade of the Mexican Revolution, and the U.S. had interfered in their neighbor’s civil war a great deal — first supporting Villa, then his opponent, according to economic interests. Although the U.S. federal government retaliated with an extraordinary military force against Villa, they were unable to capture the leader.
