Marco Ugarte / AP
Mexico’s President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attends a ceremony in commemoration of the 1968 massacre of student protesters by army troops 50 years ago, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Students and surviving leaders of the 1968 student democracy movement are planning marches Tuesday to mark the anniversary of an event that caused such revulsion it helped spur long-term political reforms.
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 | 6:42 p.m.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says he will continue to rely heavily on the military for internal security and appears to be dismissing aspirations of Mexico someday having effective civilian police forces.
Lopez Obrador says he will seek a constitutional change allowing creation of a 50,000-strong National Guard composed of members of the army, navy and federal police that would be operational within three years.
Mexico's previous two administrations have relied heavily on the military to combat drug cartels, in some cases disbanding local police forces deemed deeply corrupt.
But Lopez Obrador in announcing his security plan Wednesday also promises to redirect resources to addressing the social causes of Mexico's violence. He says 80 percent of his plan will be aimed at those problems.
He takes office Dec. 1.
