PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – United Mexico Against Crime (MUCD for its acronym in Spanish), a prominent watchdog organization, has sounded the alarm over the intensifying militarization of public life and civilian government in Mexico, raising concerns about potential risks to the nation’s democratic values.
In a collection of documents titled “The Militarization of Life and Public Security: Threats to Democratic Stability and Peace in Mexico,” MUCD draws attention to the accelerating involvement of the Armed Forces (FA) in functions typically reserved for civilian governance. This expansion encompasses education, civil protection, migration, public works, ports, and social policy.
Despite the perceived shortcomings in the country’s militarization strategy for public security, MUCD emphasized that the Armed Forces’ involvement has not slowed. The “National Inventory of the Militarized” revealed that over the past 12 years, the Armed Forces’ tasks have surged to 227. This escalation entails a budgetary transfer of 4.5 million pesos from federal entities and an additional 4,531 million from funds initially allocated to civilian institutions.
MUCD warned of the potential repercussions of this shift in power dynamics, emphasizing the erosion of local government capacities, particularly in public security. They said, “By granting more public resources to the Armed Forces, local governments lose faculties and technical capacities in matters of public security, and the federal pact is broken.”
Highlighting the danger of this trend, MUCD stated, “Mexico is at a juncture where, under the guise of the insecurity crisis, elected governments have handed increasing decision-making power over public security to the military.”
The organization also identified a growing sentiment among the public that views the military as a more competent and efficient institution compared to its civilian counterparts. This perception has been fueled by narratives emphasizing military virtues over civilian values.
Furthermore, MUCD cautioned against the increasing public prominence of the Armed Forces, which challenges their institutional identity and boosts their public standing. There’s a growing risk that the public might gravitate towards non-democratic solutions for their concerns, facilitated by the Armed Forces’ expanding authority and resources.
The organization stressed the dangers inherent in ceding more civilian powers to the military, especially as the Armed Forces gain autonomy and economic and political influence. Such a shift, MUCD warns, empowers the military to counteract or even steer civilian decisions.
Additionally, the militarization trajectory has carved out spaces where the Armed Forces, with civil authority endorsement, can bypass democratic oversight and legal restrictions.
On the funding front, MUCD noted a decline in state security subsidies while the Armed Forces (Sedena) budget continues to rise. They pinpointed budget cuts in sectors like the Contribution Fund for Social Infrastructure (FAIS) and the Subsidy for Strengthening Public Safety Performance (Fortaseg) since 2020. In contrast, 2023 saw Sedena’s budget spike by 7%, reaching a staggering 111,911 million pesos.
The revelations from MUCD provide a sobering look at the shifts in Mexico’s governance landscape, drawing attention to the potential pitfalls of over-relying on military might in areas traditionally managed by civilian institutions.
PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) - United Mexico Against Crime (MUCD for its acronym in Spanish), a prominent watchdog organization, has sounded the alarm over the intensifying . . .
