In 2018, Mexico Reached National Record Homicide Rate; President Elect Proposes New Approach To Security

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La Cartita --- To stem the flames of violence, Mexico's president elect is hoping to reset the country into a pre-militarized version of itself. The new administration wishes to decriminalize non-violent offenders and drug consumers.

Shortly before the unpopular election of Felipe Calderon, Mexico's annual homicide tally was at a fraction of its current amount. This year, the country has set records and not only become of the deadliest in the continent, but also the most dangerous place for reporters. Mexico's tally of dead reporters equals or surpasses that of Syria, an active war zone

The president-elect hopes to satisfy victim demands for justice.

Victims demand justice, but president-elect cautions all on already present effects of militarization.

President-elect Needs Reset In Security Tactics

However, the constant driving force behind the country's increase in violence is the increase in the country's use of the military for police tasks.

Since 2006, the Mexican state has pursued a scorched earth policy with regards to criminal activity, enlisting the military to carry out police tasks. Currently, far-right proposals to reduce violence have relied entirely on combative tactics to intercept known criminals in the drug trafficking industry. As a result, less analyzed are ways to reduce the number of youth willing to engage in crime.

Critics of the status quo in Mexico's security strategy note that the strategy is not actually the country's own strategy at all. Rather, many point at US influence in defining security goals and metrics as a contributor to Mexico's violence. Many note that the deployment of soldiers was made as a political move to bolster Felipe Calderon's presidency after an unpopular election result that was marred in fraud in 2006.

These elements were trained and armed by the US; intelligence links between the US military and the Mexican military are worrisome too, for those who view the US as a state with duplicitous intentions.

No Foreign Power Will Factor In Decisions: AMLO

Regardless of the US position, AMLO has maintained a commitment to decriminalizing drug consumption; the approach is key to rehabilitation and crime reduction programs in both Europe and the United States. AMLO has stated that no foreign power will factor into the decision making of Mexico's security strategy. This includes, and references, US objections to decriminalizing drug consumption in Mexico.

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