How the United States Fuels Militarization in Mexico
… and why an invasion is a terrible idea.
COMMENTARY
WORDS: JAMES CHABIN
PICTURES: ADAM JONES
DATE: MARCH 18, 2024
In the past year, prominent Republicans have made headlines for endorsing the use of United States military forces against drug cartels on Mexican territory. While many have pointed out the flaws in this plan, few have noticed that US influence has already made Mexico a more militarized country in recent years.
Between 2006 and 2021, the Mexican military took over 246 civil functions, including some in health, education, and social programming. The rate of military expansion into civil life has increased since 2018 under the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. In addition to an expanding footprint in domestic security, the military has been involved in managing ports of entry, developing infrastructure projects, and running the Maya Train.
Despite its prominence in domestic affairs, the Mexican military has come under scrutiny from human rights organizations for actions carried out on Mexican soil. According to Human Rights Watch, the military has tortured, executed, and arbitrarily detained civilians. In a particularly shocking case, the armed forces refused an order from López Obrador to turn over documents relating to the 2014 Ayotzinapa college student disappearance.
Corruption and impunity reach the highest levels of the Mexican military, as evidenced by the US authorities’ arrest of former Defense Minister Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, who was exonerated in Mexico after López Obrador took exception to the US meddling in what he perceived to be domestic affairs.
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