The road to militarization?
Under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s government, the Armed Forces not only enjoyed the trust of their supreme commander, but also received multiple tasks and resources.
According to the National Inventory of Militarization, prepared by the Drug Policy Program (PPD), Intersecta and Mexico United Against Crime (MUCD), between December 2006 and September 2023, the Armed Forces received powers or budgets of civilian origin on at least 291 occasions at both the federal and state levels.
“The transfer of functions that are not public security tasks is increasing. During the administration of Felipe Calderón (2006-2012), 43% of federal agreements transferred some civil function that was not public security; the percentage rose to 69% with Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018) and rose to 83% with López Obrador,” the report alerts .
Although militarization did not begin with the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, it did increase. Since the beginning of his six-year term, the Morena member has delegated more and more tasks to the military and marines, including: the construction of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, 2,700 branches of the Banco del Bienestar, the Tulum Airport, remodeling of 32 hospitals that were abandoned by previous six-year terms, combating huachicol, supporting the response to the Covid-19 emergency, surveillance of the northern and southern borders for immigration control, among others.
The Sheinbaum Government is planning to keep the Armed Forces as an ally, at least for a while. During her participation in the Banking Convention in Acapulco, Guerrero, Sheinbaum stated: “For now, we have to keep it that way (under a military directive), evaluate how it is working and in any case, change the situation.”
However, experts say that the ideal situation would be not to delegate tasks and budget to the military and navy, as happened in the government that is about to end.
“It would be healthier for her government to have different types of support, and not just stay with the Armed Forces, as she did at one point during President López Obrador’s administration,” says Alejandro Martínez.
For now, they will remain in charge of projects such as the Interoceanic Train, the Mayan Train, the administration of companies such as Mexicana, the operation of airports such as Felipe Ángeles and administration of the airport in Mexico City.
The shadow of Ayotzinapa
In the six-year term that is about to end, the Armed Forces have also been the target of criticism and accusations, particularly in the Ayotzinapa case. Parents of the 43 students who disappeared from the Isidro Burgos rural school have claimed that the military has hindered the progress of the investigation.
“In terms of human rights, Sedena was singled out for the Ayotzinapa case, which has not been resolved. The Undersecretary of Human Rights, headed at the time by Alejandro Encinas, took a very drastic initiative to accuse the military of having participated in these actions that violated human rights and then backed off. Arrest warrants were issued, but the military were later released,” Alejandro Martínez recalls.
