Mexico's New Strategy: Beyond 'Hugs Not Bullets'

Mexico's new government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to tackle violence and crime, emphasizing the strengthening of the National Guard and enhancing intelligence efforts. The approach aims to address economic and social factors, while maintaining a focus on crime prevention and condemning extrajudicial actions against cartels.

On Tuesday, Mexico's new government announced a strategic plan to combat rising violence and crime, with the centerpiece being the reinforcement of the National Guard and improved intelligence capabilities to curb murders, kidnappings, and extortion.

During President Claudia Sheinbaum's press briefing, Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch outlined a strategy focusing on economic and social crime causes, as well as better coordination among law enforcement agencies. The National Guard, consisting of 133,000 members, is set to serve regions lacking solid local policing.

The initiative comes in the wake of recent tragedies, such as the mayor of Guerrero's capital city being violently killed and over 150 lives lost in an intra-cartel war in Sinaloa. Stressing the avoidance of past militarized tactics, Garcia Harfuch emphasized crime prevention and shared security responsibility.