Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Security and Citizen Protection Minister Omar García Harfuch teamed up this week to outline the federal government’s new National Security Strategy, which has the chief aim of reducing the 200,000 homicides that cast a dark shadow over former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s six-year term.
As Sheinbaum’s police chief in her Mexico City administration, García Harfuch oversaw a reduction in violent crime in the capital, and she will expect similar results during her presidency.
García Harfuch said the strategy’s central focus will be to strengthen the role of the National Guard (GN) police force, particularly in assisting municipal and state law enforcement agencies that struggle to tackle crime in their regions. He also promised to enhance investigation and intelligence-gathering. A new federal intelligence unit backed by greater human and technological resources will be created to face organized crime, targeting the most insecure states such as Guanajuato and Sinaloa.
Addressing the root causes of crime and dissuading youth involvement in unlawful activities will be key components of the new strategy, García Harfuch said. While not duplicating the “hugs, not bullets” approach taken by López Obrador, the policy of creating job opportunities for young people from vulnerable families will continue. Sheinbaum has stated there will be no return to the militarized “War on Drugs” policies of former President Felipe Calderón, which have been widely blamed for the current surge in cartel violence.
García Harfuch stressed that the National Guard will operate exclusively as a police force, despite its recent incorporation into the Ministry of Defense. However, he said the “experience” of the armed forces will play an important role in training police officers in order to make the National Guard a more effective force.
Critics argue that granting the military excessive powers could pose serious risks for Mexico in the event of major political or social instability.