Book Description
Since December 2006, when Felipe Calderon assumed the office of the President, Mexico has embarked upon the implementation of a culture of law and security that has triggered a war with organized crime involving all sectors of society. This implementation has activated a series of renovations in its armed forces, which remain the most trusted institutions in Mexican society.This Letort Paper contributes to an understanding of the structure, culture, motivators, and challenges of the Mexican military in the 21st century and provides a clear picture of doctrinal and structural transformations, adaptations, and improvement that the Mexican armed forces have endured over the past 5 years. This Paper focuses on how the counternarcotic role has impacted its organization, deployments, and operations, and how it has generated new doctrinal and equipment requirements, and also addresses key areas of national and international concern such as respect for human rights and and the military justice system. Given Mexico¿s importance to the United States as neighbor, ally, and third largest trading partner, understanding the transformation that its armed forces are enduring to assist in the implementation of a culture of law should be of prime concern to all actors¿government, private sector, and academia¿involved in the decisionmaking process.
