Mexican president vows to bring down violence after ‘El Chapo’ sentencing

FILE PHOTO: Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gestures during a meeting with the Mexican delegation competing at the Pan American Games Lima 2019, in Mexico City, Mexico, July 15, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday he expected violence in Mexico to fall after the U.S. sentencing of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, vowing to create a society less obsessed with making money at any cost.

Guzman will spend the rest of his days behind bars in the United States after a judge sentenced him on Wednesday to life in prison plus 30 years. A jury found him guilty in February after an 11-week trial.

When asked during his regular morning conference whether he expected violence to rise over the coming weeks following the sentencing, Lopez Obrador said: “No, on the contrary. We think that bit by bit the number of criminal incidents will decline.

“We will continue to create a better society, supported by values, that is not based on accumulating material wealth, money or luxury,” Lopez Obrador said.

Earlier in the conference, a member of his government showcased luxury jewelry and watches confiscated from convicted criminals that would be auctioned, with proceeds going to impoverished Mexican villages.

Guzman was extradited to the United States in 2018 following two breakouts from Mexican jails: one purportedly in a laundry cart, the other through a mile-long tunnel.

In an opinion poll conducted by Mexico’s Reforma newspaper, with support from the Washington Post, 52% of people surveyed said Lopez Obrador’s efforts to tackle crime were lacking while 55% said he was failing to bring down violence.

Forbes magazine once listed Guzman as one of the world’s richest men.

Lopez Obrador said Mexico would explore whether there would be legal ways for Mexico to claim Guzman’s assets, adding that Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard would be in charge of the matter.

“These resources, these assets legally belong to Mexico and the matter will be considered on a legal basis,” Lopez Obrador said. “I believe that the United States will agree.”

(Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Miguel Angel Gutierrez; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)

Mexican president says he would like to disband the nation’s army

FILE PHOTO - Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes part on a 'unity' rally to defend the dignity of Mexico and talks about the trade negotiations with the U.S in Tijuana, Mexico June 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Duenes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday he would like to disband the army and put national security in the hands of the new National Guard militarized police force, though he recognized the proposal was unlikely to happen.

In an interview with Mexican newspaper La Jornada, the leftist president said he favored guaranteeing the nation’s security through the National Guard, which he formally inaugurated on Sunday.

“If were up to me, I would get rid of the army and turn it into the National Guard, declare that Mexico is a pacifist country that does not need a military and that the defense of the nation, if necessary, would be done by all,” he said.

Only a few countries in the world have abolished standing armies, among them the Latin American nations of Costa Rica and Panama. Mexico’s army has traditionally kept on the sidelines of international conflict but has been deployed to tackle drug gangs since 2007.

Lopez Obrador recognized the political challenges to eliminating the military, adding: “I can’t do it because there is resistance. One thing is what is desirable and another thing is what is possible.”

The creation of the National Guard, which launched with 70,000 members and which Lopez Obrador intends to grow to 150,000 units across Mexico, has raised concerns about the militarization of law enforcement in Mexico.

Lopez Obrador has already tapped the force, which was created by a constitutional change, to patrol the country’s northern and southern borders in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands that Mexico do more to contain migrant flows.

The National Guard has been assembled quickly, drawing on members of the armed forces and federal police, who have often been implicated in abuses during ongoing efforts to subdue gang violence.

Lopez Obrador said he recognized the importance of curbing such abuses as the force ramps up.

The challenge the Mexican government faces, Lopez Obrador said, is “for human rights to be respected and for there to be a different conduct in the National Guard, made up of soldiers and sailors.”

(Reporting by Julia Love and Diego Ore; Editing by Bill Berkrot)