“The military has become an invaluable tool to fulfill the wishes of President López Obrador throughout the territory, centralizing power and pushing aside democratically elected state and municipal governments,” the newspaper indicates.
WASHINGTON .- The American newspaper The Washington Post, warned that the armed forces, by decision of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, infringe on Mexico’s democracy and asks the United States government to influence to stop militarization.
“The military has become an invaluable tool to fulfill the wishes of President López Obrador throughout the territory, centralizing power and pushing aside democratically elected state and municipal governments,” the newspaper indicates.
In the main editorial of its printed version this Wednesday, titled “The military forces are infringing on Mexico’s democracy,” the influential newspaper in the US capital highlights the enormous role and influence that López Obrador has ceded to the Army and Navy.
“The United States can influence the situation in its role as Mexico’s largest trading partner and as a supplier of weapons and equipment to the Mexican military forces,” recommends the editorial board of The Washington Post.
To contextualize its argument, the newspaper notes that it was former President Felipe Calderón who started the process of militarization of Mexico by involving them in the war against drug trafficking and organized crime.
“But AMLO went much further, pressing through constitutional amendments to cede responsibility to the armed forces in the country’s public security until 2028, making them responsible for migration, customs, and management of two airports,” he highlights.
In the modern history of Latin America, the editorial emphasizes that Mexico’s democracy has remained free of coups d’état and being governed by military junta, and that the country’s Army and Navy have remained under the subordination of a command civil.
“Although AMLO considers a stronger armed forces to be an institution of unquestionable loyalty that must be counted on in what he considers the deep state built by previous governments; It’s unclear how that kind of loyalty will be transferred to the next president; whether it be her anointed one, Claudia Sheinbaum, who leads the polls or the opposition candidate, Xóchitl Gálvez,” he points out.
For the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), which includes the Secretariat of the Navy and Armed Forces of Mexico (Semar), AMLO, with the help of Congress, doubled the budget in his government, compared to what they received in 2019, which now It is 316 billion pesos.
The Post adds that the National Guard with which AMLO replaced the Federal Police was granted a budget of 4 billion pesos, and has failed to comply with the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation that said institution must be under civil command.
“AMLO argues that the Army constitutes a bulwark against the corruption that infected governments before his and that the armed forces are doing a good job fighting crime.
“Both cries are implausible, especially the second, under his command more than 170 thousand homicides have occurred; many more than during the past three presidencies,” clarifies the Washington Post.
The militarization of Mexico promoted and allowed by AMLO, according to the point of view of the newspaper’s editorial, also undermines civilian governments, judicial institutions such as the INE and the INAI.
“During the Cold War, the United States often tolerated and supported military regimes, yet its investment had some success in the democratization and demilitarization of Latin America. All the more reason to resist the establishment of militarism where it never existed before; next door (Mexico)”, concludes the editorial.
Source: proceso.mx
