Mexico's military's increasing power poses a challenge for the country's democracy as the next president will have to navigate the influence of the armed forces. The military's control of intelligence-gathering could impact civilian decision-making, raising concerns about the balance of power. The potential for the military to shape rather than inform civilian decisions presents a significant risk to democratic governance. The article highlights the long-term implications of military dependency and the difficulty of regaining control once established. Structural reforms are deemed necessary to address the inflow of contraband and communication within jails in Ecuador and Honduras, emphasizing the complexities of military involvement in domestic affairs.
"It took some Central and South American countries decades to put the genie of powerful militaries back in the bottle, with only a few coming close to full success. Ending Mexico’s dependency on the military could take just as long," writes @WillGFreeman. https://t.co/Sr3HHVMUKv
Military dependency is sure to outlive AMLO’s presidency. The generals he empowered, if they so wished, could hobble the next government simply by slowing or stopping work, writes @WillGFreeman. https://t.co/HC8rsI8Avv
After AMLO, Mexico's next pres. will govern in the shadow of an increasingly powerful military. What does that mean for Mexican democracy? My latest, "Can Mexico's Next President Control the Military" (link below, no paywall) offers an analysis. https://t.co/tMW7jKUhxG https://t.co/7lfUcB7SyD
#Ecuador (and #Honduras) are proving that regaining control of jails is hard to achieve by just sending the military in. It will take time, particularly without structural reforms to stem inflow of items and communication with the outside. https://t.co/KVXUSFjqZf
One risk of Mexico’s military dependency comes with the armed forces’ control of intelligence-gathering, which raises the possibility of military leadership shaping, rather than merely informing, civilian decision making, writes @WillGFreeman. https://t.co/k5Z0K7puzP
Great piece by @WillGFreeman Can Mexico’s Next President Control the Military? https://t.co/tznSxvrg5F via @JoDemocracy Great