AMLO announces new security plan for Mexico City

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On February 28, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) announced a new security plan for Mexico City. The plan includes increasing the number of police officers in the city, as well as investing in new technology and infrastructure to improve security.

Now Mexico’s Congress has given approval for the establishment of a 60,000-member National Guard, a significant development in President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s strategy to address the country’s public security crisis. The National Guard is intended to play a key role in confronting organized crime and reducing escalating violence in the nation.

The legislative process leading to this decision involved months of debates regarding the nature of the force and the entity responsible for its control. Human-rights activists and civil society groups were actively involved in the discussions, advocating to limit the military’s influence on the National Guard and expressing concerns about potential militarization of policing in Mexico.

Ultimately, Congress determined that the National Guard would have a civilian character, explicitly separating it from military influence. The force will operate under the authority of the civilian Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection. The composition of the National Guard will be a hybrid, integrating officers from the Federal Police along with members from the army and navy’s policing units.

While military members within the force can maintain their ranks, those accused of abuses will be subject to trial in civilian courts. Additionally, the top commander of the National Guard could be a military official, but they will report to a civilian supervisor, emphasizing civilian oversight in the leadership structure.

This decision represents a significant step in addressing public security challenges in Mexico, and the establishment of the National Guard reflects the government’s commitment to finding solutions to organized crime and violence while maintaining a balance between military and civilian control.