Mexican lawmakers have approved an extension of the armed forces' public security role until 2028, fueling controversy over what critics see as the country's militarization.

The lower house of Congress passed the reform promoted by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's ruling party by 339 votes to 154, after a heated debate Wednesday that continued late into the night.

The plan has already been endorsed by the Senate.

Before coming to power in 2018, Lopez Obrador had vowed to send the military back to the barracks.

But under his presidency, the armed forces have kept their role in tackling cartel-related violence and even gained more responsibility, including control of ports and customs and major infrastructure projects.

Amnesty International has voiced alarm at what it called "the process of militarization of public security in Mexico."

The latest reform comes amid a scandal over a huge leak of classified military files obtained by a group of hackers called Guacamaya, who have targeted several Latin American countries.

The leaks left Mexico's military facing allegations that some of its members have links to drug cartels, that it spied on the government's opponents and engineered a reform giving it control of the National Guard, which was previously under civilian command.

"How are we going to give more power to the military if the hacked documents show that some of them have ties to crime and have protected human rights violators?" opposition lawmaker Salvador Caro asked during the debate.

Accusations that the armed forces were involved in the disappearance of 43 students in 2014 -- one of the country's worst human rights tragedies -- have added to the controversy.

In August a truth commission said that the military shared "clear responsibility" for what it called a state crime, either directly or through negligence.

Related Links
21st Century Pirates

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Army taking on gangs in Colombia's biggest port
Buenaventura, Colombia (AFP) Sept 6, 2022
Colombia's army put on a show of force at the weekend in a town whose population is at the mercy of two warring gangs. The "Shottas" and "Spartanos" gangs have been fighting for months over control of Buenaventura's drug trafficking trade, and other illegal activities such as micro-trafficking, extortion and kidnappings. But the army has tried to assert some state control by coming out in force in several neighborhoods in Colombia's main port city. Buenaventura is where 40 percent of the cou ... read more