Jorge Carrasco Araizaga: Mexico's Army Is Loyal Only Unto Itself Jorge Carrasco Araizaga - Proceso
go to original February 14, 2015

President Enrique Peña Nieto commemorates the Loyalty March in Mexico City. (Presidency of the Republic)

The army created Mexico’s political system after last century’s civil war, and the army continues to hold on to many of the privileges it gave itself at that time. For more than a century Mexico’s military leadership has held on to special privileges which it is not willing to give up. These have turned the military into a caste, a group set apart, which doesn’t answer to anyone.

In 1946 the Military ceded the Presidency of the Republic to the electoral victor but continued dominating the PRI, governors, the appointed heads of Mexico City, senators and deputies. With their privileges, they didn’t have to emulate their Latin American colleagues’ coups to gain power. They already had it.

Through direct and indirect actions, they have successfully defended the political system which they built. They stamped out challenges in Tlatelolco [October 1968 massacre of protesting students]. They created the paramilitary group known as The Hawks for the purpose of killing students in San Cosme [June 1971 Corpus Cristi or Halconazo massacre]. They were members of the white brigades in the Dirty War [against leftist activists and guerrillas in the 1970's] and also intervened directly, always under the protection of the political interests which granted them impunity.

In contrast to Latin America, where military chiefs have had to answer for human rights abuses, in Mexico not one soldier has been held responsible for or sanctioned for such wrongdoing. That was the great debt left by the Vicente Fox government.

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Translated by Esther Buddenhagen

Mexico Voices is a blogging endeavor aimed at raising the awareness of U.S. citizens regarding the destructive impact of the U.S. economic policy and the War on Drugs on Mexico — on its people, their economic and physical security and their human rights, on the nation’s dysfunctional justice system, and on the rule of law and Mexico’s fragile democracy. Visit the website at MexicoVoices.blogspot.mx

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