Felipe Calderón on Militarization of Security

Felipe Calderón's presidency, beginning in 2006, is marked by the decision to launch a massive, frontal militarized strategy against organized crime, often referred to as the "war on drugs." This policy involved the large-scale deployment of the Army and Navy into civilian security tasks, a framework that built upon prior incremental steps taken by his predecessors. The administration viewed organized crime as an imminent threat requiring the state's full force, leading to a significant increase in military operations across numerous states. This approach was institutionalized further through legal means, such as the interpretation of the National Security Law, and was internationally legitimized by the signing of the Merida Initiative with the United States in 2008, which provided significant military aid.

This strategy, however, is widely associated with negative consequences. Studies indicate that while the focus was on 'decapitating' cartel leadership, the militarized approach ultimately provoked an escalation of violence, fragmentation of criminal groups, and a notable increase in human rights abuse complaints against security forces. The policy also led to the prioritization of military over civilian security institutions, which experts argue is a symptom of a deeper civilian crisis of state capacity and accountability. The intense focus on military confrontation, rather than strengthening civilian police, became a defining, path-dependent feature of Mexican security policy, a trend later criticized by his successors for its perceived failure to bring lasting security improvements.