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Mexican President to Place National Guard under Control of the Army

Mexican President to Place National Guard under Control of the Army

 

On August 8, President of Mexico López Obrador announced that he would issue an agreement to place the National Guard under the control of the Armed Forces. When the president created the National Guard in 2019, it was established in the constitution as an explicitly civil entity. Human rights advocates and analysts fear that the National Guard will become another militarized approach to security issues, endangering the civilian population and leading to numerous human rights violations. The President justified his intention to place the National Guard under the Secretary of Defense by arguing it would avoid corruption, prevent the politicization of the security corps, and guarantee the National Guard’s permanence. This announcement will remove transfer control of the National Guard away from the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection.