Mexico Extending Army Presence Until 2029 as It Fights Growing Violence; AMLO Says It 'Guarantees' Peace

Mexico's lower house of Congress has voted to keep army presence in its streets for five more years.

Yahoo News reported that the new decision raised fears about the Mexican president's efforts to militarize public security. Last week, the National Guard was favored to be under the control of the military.

The new motion to keep the army's presence until 2029 was approved with 335 votes in favor and 152 against. Mexican Army's deployment was supposed to end in 2024, but with the new development, it will now be carried through to 2029.

Cartel violence continues to grow across the country. The recent combat with the crime organizations left at least 20 convenience stores burned in a night of unrest in Guanajuato and Jalisco.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Army Presence

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the continued army presence in Mexico's streets is needed to "guarantee peace."

AMLO stated in a Mexico News Daily report that the lawmakers were acting "responsible." He also congratulated the lawmakers who favored the bill that he claimed is about "guaranteeing peace and tranquility in the country."

Lopez Obrador added that the government needs more time to "consolidate" the National Guard. He said they want to "professionalize, institutionalize, and moralize the National Guard."

Some also opposed the political move of extending military presence in the streets of Mexico, such as opposition member Jorge Romero, who said that it is not "in this government's interest to have civilian police."

Lopez Obrador earlier promised to return the military to their headquarters when he was campaigning in 2018. However, he later changed his mind, saying there is a need to fight organized crime.

AMLO claimed that the government extending the use of armed forces for public security is "not just a duty" for lawmakers but also something that brings "great joy."

Mexico Extending Army Presence

Mexico researcher at Human Rights Watch, Tyler Mattiace, said AMLO should leave the "failed and abusive militarized security strategy" of those who went before him and instead focus on strengthening Mexico's civilian justice institutions.

The president's proposed plans would allow the military to indefinitely continue conducting a wide range of law enforcement tasks, including detaining and interrogating civilians. The military would also be taking charge of crime scenes, preserving evidence, and detaining undocumented migrants.

The proposed security plan of Lopez Obrador would also allow the military to obtain court orders to track mobile phone activity and location.

HRW has noted that soldiers have executed unarmed civilians, sometimes intentionally. The law enforcement group had also been involved in forced disappearances.

In addition, the Mexican Army has been reported to conduct extrajudicial killings under the current administration, while those responsible for the abuses are almost never brought to justice.

Out of 640 confrontations with armed civilians, the army killed 515 people, detained 381, and wounded 89. Twenty-one soldiers were also killed in the first three years of Lopez Obrador's administration.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Mexico Sends Troops To Tijuana After String Of Cartel Violence - from NBC News