The Price of Mexico’s Militarized Infrastructure
In this Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary, we show how AMLO’s emphasis on public works may come at the expense of public safety.
Under President Andres Manuel López Obrador, often referred to as AMLO, the Mexican military’s mandate expanded to building and running railways, airports and even hotels.
Photographer: Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu/Getty Images
President Andres Manuel López Obrador gave the Mexican military two important jobs: build major infrastructure to jumpstart the economy and fight violent crime. As his six-year term comes to an end, citizens are wondering why progress seems to have been made only on one of those fronts.
Under López Obrador, 70, often referred to as AMLO, the military’s mandate expanded to building and running railways, airports and even hotels in addition to its law enforcement role. At the same time, homicides skyrocketed, resulting in one of the bloodiest presidential terms in Mexico’s recent history, with more than 170,000 murders. In the Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary Why Mexico Is Militarizing, we show how López Obrador’s priorities may have sacrificed public safety in the name of public works, and how Mexico’s incoming president may find it difficult to change course.