Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York

Adapting, transforming, and modernizing under fire, the Mexican military, 2006-11, Inigo Guevara Moyano

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 36-41)

federal national government publication

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

Adapting, transforming, and modernizing under fire

electronic resource

bibliographydictionaries

Inigo Guevara Moyano

Letort paper, [no. 50]

the Mexican military, 2006-11

Mexico's armed forces are in the midst of a transformation to better perform in an ongoing war against organized crime. Their role and visibility have escalated considerably since President Felipe Calderon assumed office in December of 2006. Although the fight against organized crime is clearly a law enforcement matter, the absence of effective and accountable police forces has meant that the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been used as supplementary forces to defend the civilian population and enforce the rule of law. While the federal government has striven to stand up a capable police force in order to relieve and eventually replace the military, that possibility is still distant. Despite considerable attention to and investment in Mexico's law enforcement sector during the past 5 years, the armed forces continue to be the only Mexican institutions with the capabilities to conduct nationwide operations and the main implementers of the government's security policy. This paper analyzes how the counterdrug role has influenced, and in some cases directed, its modernization. It also addresses the main challenges the counterdrug role is associated with, including human rights concerns, and proposes some options for its future

The Mexican defense structure : roles and missions -- Defense budgeting and spending -- Interservice rivalries and the competition for resources -- Evolution of the Army -- Adapting the land forces -- The human rights component : complaints vs. violations -- A wake up call -- The need for additional manpower -- Tackling desertion -- Conscription not a viable option -- The combat inventory -- Anti-narco influence on procurement -- The Mexican Air Force command -- Intensifying the counterdrug role -- Air defense needs neglected -- The Naval Ministry -- Command and territorial reorganization -- The green water fleet -- Building a Coast Guard network -- Marine Corps revival -- Transformation of naval aviation requirements -- Naval procurement, assistance, and cooperation -- Conclusion

Mexican military 2006-11