The Mexican armed forces are a pillar of the war against drugs. Indeed, thousands of regular troops are patrolling several municipalities and large cities across Mexico while Special Forces make most of the arrests of high-profile drug lords. In a country plagued by corrupt police forces and heavily armed drug traffickers, the army (which also controls the air force) and the navy have become the country's last resort in a war that has produced thousands of casualties. Unfortunately, the armed forces themselves are likely to become another victim of this war.
The Mexican army has experienced thousands of desertions in the last few years. According to an investigation of the newspaper Reforma, between 2001 and 2006, the army has lost an average of 30,000 members per year. Although the rate of desertion has decreased to 17,000 in 2007, this is still a very significant number; especially considering where these soldiers go after leaving the armed forces.
The likely cause of desertion in the armed forces is poor working conditions for the meager salaries. According to Benito Jiménez from Reforma, a regular soldier makes between $300 and $400 dollars a month. They could easily make a few more hundred dollars by joining private security companies. More alarming is when soldiers are paid much more for joining drug cartels. This makes the cartels much more deadly, for the trained soldiers are familiar with government procedures. In fact, cartels are now openly recruiting soldiers.
In addition to soldiers leaving for better-paid opportunities, the army is under close scrutiny regarding human rights violations. Although police forces are traditionally associated with violations of human rights in Mexico, the army is no beacon of virtue. Indeed, many military camps served as prisons during the Dirty War of the 1960s and 1970s that produced more than 1,500 disappearances. Even though the country's human rights records have shown overall improvement, violations continue to occur throughout the territory.
As a result of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the armed forces were deliberately separated from politics. Their function was limited to the protection of the country from external threats and to relief efforts during national disasters. For decades, the army enjoyed legitimacy unmatched by other Mexican institutions. Lamentably, things have changed. Senior military officers have been tainted by corruption scandals, former member of Special Forces are now bodyguards for drug bosses, and young people aspire to work for drug cartels rather than the army.
So far, nobody knows how this other war within the armed forces will end. If the situation does not improve soon, the army, and the country, will lose the war against drugs.
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[...] In a May 14th posting, Blogger Alejandro Quiroz Flores discusses the role of the Mexican military in combating Mexico's drug problems. In a move to avoid problems with Mexico's often corrupt and under-equipped local police forces, the Mexican Army is often the security force which patrols towns and maintains security against drug trafficking. Problems discussed by Alejandro include a problem of desertion in the Army due to poor condition and lack of pay. A contributing factor as well is the historic human right violation during the Dirty War in the 60's and 70's which contributed to 1,500 disaparecidos in the past. Despite the Army's separation from political forces and its good reputation as compared with the local police, they are still Mexico's strongest security force against the Drug cartels in Mexico and have greatly improved their human rights record since the 1970s. For Alejandro’s piece on the attack on FARC leaders in Ecuador and consequences in Mexico and Ecuador, read here. [...]
[...] It is not surprising to learn that drug cartels present a clear and present danger to Mexican democratic institutions. This was recently declared by Guillermo Valdés, head of Mexican intelligence. Unfortunately, the current fight against drugs has not improved the situation. During the last year, the country has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of drug-related casualties. In addition, the federal government has overexposed the military to a force it was not prepared to fight. This explains the need to minimize the involvement of the armed forces and increase the budget to recruit more regular police forces. [...]
[...] had a profound impact on the structure and morale of its members. Not only have the armed forces experienced the largest number of desertions in recent history, but dozens of its members have been kidnapped, tortured, and horribly killed by [...]