Although it will assume more functions, they will cut 36.2% to the Ministry of Security

Gustavo Castillo and Fernando Camacho

La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, November 17, 2024, p. 6

Despite the new powers in crime investigation and intelligence tasks assigned to it, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) will see its budget reduced by 36.2 percent starting in 2025.

The cut will also apply to the Secretariat of National Defense (Defense), although this is explained because the works on the Felipe Ángeles International Airport have already been completed, and the construction of the Mayan Train is practically finished. Funds for the Ministry of the Navy will also decrease, according to next year’s draft Federal Expenditure Budget (PEF), delivered by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) on Friday to the Chamber of Deputies.

The SSPC will receive 36.2 percent less budget than this year, going from 105,838 million to 70,422 million pesos, although increasing security levels throughout the country and developing intelligence tasks are two of its main objectives.

The PEF project indicates that the function of the institution headed by Omar García Harfuch It is the protection of the integrity and rights of people, strengthening the fight against crime, the reduction of crime, as well as action against disturbing phenomena of natural or human origin..

He adds that he will carry out his duties through inter-institutional collaboration and coordination, under the implementation of public policies, programs and actions aimed at preventing and combating crimes and corruption, contributing to the generation and preservation of order and social peace for the comprehensive development of the country..

An analysis by Morena in the Chamber of Deputies indicates that of the 44 units that make up the SSPC, 41 will have a budget decrease, among them the National Guard, with 54.19 percent less (39 thousand 976 million 690 thousand pesos) than the previous year.

Likewise, cuts are proposed for the following areas: the National Information Center Platform Mexico, which will go from 161 million 910 thousand pesos to 143 million 530 thousand; The National Intelligence Center will reduce its spending by 11.29 percent, going from 3,111 million pesos to 2,759 million; The National Center for Disaster Prevention will have 13.11 percent less than in 2024, going from 84 million 840 thousand pesos to 73 million 720 thousand.

The budget of the National Anti-Kidnapping and High Impact Crimes Coordination would go from 81 million 640 thousand to 73 million 930 thousand pesos, despite the fact that its objective is implement policies, programs and actions aimed at guaranteeing the public security of the nation and its inhabitants.

The National Coordination of Civil Protection, which this year operated with 6 million 890 thousand pesos, has a budget of 6 million for 2025.

The reduction projected by the Treasury to Defense is 43.8 percent in relation to 2024, going from 259 billion to 151 billion pesos, although it maintains as part of its priority objectives tasks of supporting public security, actions against organized crime and continue with the promotion of rail transport for both cargo and passengers; the improvement, rehabilitation, maintenance, expansion of infrastructure and the strengthening of the Mexican Airport System.

The Navy’s resources will decrease 12 percent compared to 2024, since they would go from 71,888 million to 65,888 million. The project states that the Navy will use the Naval Power of the Federation to safeguard national sovereignty and security, and will apply its budget to the acquisition, construction, repair and maintenance of naval units, in addition to strengthening capacities for reconstruction, emergency response and prevention of natural disasters and promote the Naval Educational System and its scholarship program.