On 19 November a commission of Mexico’s lower chamber of congress unanimously approved a planned reform of Article 21 of the constitution, designed to increase the powers of the security ministry (SSPC).
Analysis:
The constitutional amendment is now expected to be given fast-track congressional discussion and approval. It increases the powers and coordinating role of the security minister, a post held by Omar García Harfuch, regarded as President Claudia Sheinbaum’s right hand man. The two worked closely together, achieving a reduction of the homicide rate, when Sheinbaum was the head of government of Mexico City (CDMX) (2018-2023) with Harfuch as her head of security: the intention seems to be to reproduce that formula at national level. A recent wave of criminal violence in states like Guerrero, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and Sinaloa has added a sense of urgency.
- The planned reform gives SSPC the power to coordinate the security activities of the three branches of government who are all required to share information.
- SSPC is to take direct control of the national intelligence service and will be empowered to investigate crimes alongside state and federal prosecutors, police forces, and the national guard (GN).
- The SSPC will also be authorised to “monitor and audit” resources paid to states and municipalities to strengthen their police forces
- In parallel with these changes the SSPC is also undergoing an internal reform process, with the creation of three new deputy roles, including a deputy minister for investigation and police intelligence, a position that has gone to Héctor Elizalde, another key figure in Sheinbaum’s time in charge of CDMX.
- It was Elizalde who stood in for Harfuch in June 2020 when the latter was seriously injured in an assassination attempt attributed to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Looking Ahead: With both the ruling left-wing Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena) and opposition parties in congress in broad agreement, the Article 21 amendments are likely to be approved before the end of this year. That said, the current wave of cartel violence will put political pressure on the new government to show an improvement in security.