A Bolstering National Security & the Indigenous Community’s Big Win

Written by Elliott Cochran – September 12, 2022

Mexico’s Congress voted to give control of the National Guard to the Army. Mexico’s National Guard is a civilian led organization. The decision has caused concern throughout the country due to the militarization of public security. The National Guard was created in 2019, and the security force was designed to help bolster national security. Mexico has struggled to create a law enforcement force that can combat the drug cartel while also being a civilian law enforcement. Opposition to the bill says the armed forces will have too much authority and could lead to abuse of power. President Lopez Obrador believes the bill will be beneficial because the National Guard is already trained within the Mexican military. However, the Mexican military has a laundry list of abuses. Edith Ferreto, executive director of Amnesty International Mexico, criticized the decision saying Mexico has attempted this before with terrible results.

In Ecuador, the Indigenous people have won big and will have a stronger say over oil, mining, and other projects that affect their land. Ecuador’s president was planning on a double oil production and mining expansion. The ruling allows the Indigenous community to refuse any project, only in exceptional cases the government can move forward with a rejected project.