Mexico City burns effigy of Donald Trump as Judas Iscariot to celebrate Easter

US President has threatened to make Mexico pay for a border wall

People gather around as a woman prepares to light a figure of Donald Trump rigged with fireworks (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Mexicans celebrated Easter by blowing up an effigy of Donald Trump, as part of the capital city’s festivities.

In Mexico City, villainous characters are often depicted as Judas Iscariot and burned on the holiday.

The ancient Holy Week tradition, in which the sins and evils of the previous year are ritually cleansed, features figures of devils, politicians, and cartoon characters.

The sculpture of Mr Trump provided some humour to a tense political situation, residents said.

“In spite of all the problems in our country, we Mexicans try to find the humour in our traditions,” a bystander told Reuters.

American tourists in the crowd shouted “F*** Trump.”

Mr Trump has vowed to make Mexico pay for a border wall with the US, and frequently used disparaging remarks against Mexican immigrants.

It was the second year Mr Trump's effigy was burned.

An effigy of Donald Trump is burned (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The country suffers from extensive domestic problems, most significantly in the form of a drug war which has claimed thousands of lives over the past few years.

But Mr Trump wasn’t the only politician to be blown up with fireworks. Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto was also turned into an effigy and given similar treatment.