Mexico’s Congress puts National Guard under military command despite criticism. Why does it matter?

Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Senate has approved putting the National Guard under the command of the military despite widespread criticism over deepening the country’s militarization. Wednesday’s move is the second constitutional change in two weeks, giving outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador another victory days before his exit. The Congress passed on Sept. 11 a contentious judicial overhaul he pushed that forces all the country’s judges to stand for election, raising concerns of politicizing the judiciary. The National Guard was a security force proposed as civilian and run by the Public Safety Ministry.tThe governing Morena party and its allies overcame opposition fueled by concerns from human rights organizations and the United Nations.