Mexico’s future president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wants to raise a 50,000-strong National Guard to fight the powerful drug cartels. The new force should follow the example of the Spanish police unit Guardia Civil and the French Gendarmerie and be trained by the armed forces.
„They will respect human rights“
Human rights activists criticize the increasing militarization of the fight against the crime syndicates in Mexico. „Rest assured that they will respect human rights,“ said the left-wing populist at the presentation of his security plan yesterday (local time). On December 1, Lopez Obrador is sworn in as head of state.
In the bloody clashes between the various drug cartels and the security forces over 200,000 people were killed in the past decade in Mexico. Despite spectacular blows against the crime syndicates, the security situation had even worsened recently.
In addition to building up the National Guard, Lopez Obrador wants to fight corruption, reorient drug policies and create more jobs. „This plan will bring peace to every corner of the country,“ said his future Security Minister Alfonso Durazo.
