MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s Senate approved a constitutional reform early on Wednesday morning that will give the armed forces control of the civilian-led national guard, in a move critics say gives too much power to the military over law and order.
The measure passed the Senate with 86 votes in favor and 42 against, just meeting the two-thirds majority needed to amend the country’s constitution, after already passing the lower house of Congress.
The reform marks another win for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the final week of his administration, as his leftist Morena party and its allies backed the controversial measure. One opposition senator who has voted in line with the ruling coalition to pass other proposals this month also voted to put the military in charge of the national guard police force.
An 11th-hour Lopez Obrador-backed constitutional overhaul to upend Mexico’s judiciary by electing judges by popular vote became law earlier this month, sparking tensions with the United States and Canada on concerns of weakening checks and balances and investor confidence.
The president had previously thrown his weight behind a law to put the national guard under military control, but as the measure was not a constitutional reform, the Supreme Court was able to overturn the law last year.
Shortly after he took office in late 2018, Lopez Obrador created the National Guard, which was put under civilian control at the time to assuage concerns about the military’s influence over public security.
But throughout his administration, Lopez Obrador has turned over duties which were long held by civilians to the military, including customs duties and airport operation.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by David Alire Garcia, William Maclean)
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