Mexico One Step Closer to Seeing New National Guard

Mexican lawmakers are one step closer to approving President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s (AMLO) controversial National Guard as 17 states voted Wednesday to approve the nation’s newest security force.

RELATED: 
UN Agrees to Train Mexican National Guard on Human Rights

The creation of the guard required a constitutional reform, and because of that it needed approval from at least 17 state legislators to move forward.

So far, Sinaloa, Puebla, Guerrero, Tabasco, Campeche, Chiapas, Nuevo Leon, Colima, Zacatecas, Hidalgo, Queretaro, State of Mexico, Durango, Baja California Sur, Tlaxcala, Tamaulipas and Quintana Roo have all said yes to the changes to the nation’s constitution.

Opposition party members tweeted that the latest version of the law is “regressive” as AMLO’s party that controls both houses, Morena, eliminated the 60-day deadline for three important laws that would further outline the National Guard rules and responsibilities.   

Also, the originally ‘civilian’ guard is now set to be overseen by military branches for at least five years.

AMLO conceded to national and international human rights organizations that say the formation of another security force will only increase violent crime in Mexico, by signing an agreement last week with the United Nations promising to train the newly instated National Guard in matters of human rights starting in April.

U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said the accord showed "the highest standards in human rights."

Even prior to his December inauguration, (AMLO) proposed creating a 60,000-strong National Guard comprising army, navy and other federal police to curb Mexico’s soaring rates of homicide and other crimes. Local media says this number will rise to 150,000 members by the end of Lopez Obrador’s six-year term.

Mexico's Senate and House have both approved the new guard which will have legal powers to combat all crimes at the federal and local levels.