Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, virtual president of Mexico, has begun to appoint the first members of her legal Cabinet, where she has sought to ensure parity between men and women holding government secretariats.
This week, before the second ’round’ of officials is presented on Thursday, questions have been asked about who will be the people who will be in charge of the Secretariats of National Defense (Sedena) and Navy (Semar)which have historically been led only by male generals and admirals.
In his conference this Monday, June 24, Sheinbaum highlighted that to be head of the Sedena and the Navy, certain rank requirements must be met. When questioned about if a woman could be in front of institutions such as the Army, Sheinbaum noted that this may not be possible.
“Normally they are admirals and major generals. So far, there are no female major generals or female admirals. And we must also respect the institution itself,” explained the former head of Government.
Currently, the head of the Sedena is the general secretary Luis Cresencio Sandovalwhile in Semar there is the admiral José Rafael Ojeda Duránboth have been in their positions since 2018.
However, Sheinbaum stressed that he will respect the times to make both appointments in those two secretariats, more towards the days close to the swearing-in. It will be until October 1 when the virtual president takes office in the Presidency.
Sheinbaum defends the National Guard and denies that there is militarization
Just on Sunday, Sheinbaum Pardo stated that he will continue strengthening the National Guard, to consolidate it as a security body that is part of the Sedena.
The Guard was created by López Obrador in 2019 and he pledged that it would remain under civilian control. However, two years later, the president began attempts to ensure that this security body came under the command of the military authority with a reform that was not approved.
At the beginning of 2024, AMLO reiterated his desire for the National Guard to be transferred to the Sedena to “prevent it from being corrupted like the defunct Federal Police (PF)”. In fact, the GN emerged after the president dissolved said Police and the majority of its members are former federal police, military and marines.
Meanwhile, this Monday in her conference, the virtual president insisted that the National Guard will be strengthened. Regarding the allegations that the GN under military command of Sedena would advance militarization, Sheinbaum denied that this was the case since, according to her, that security team would continue under civilian command.
“Who dictates security policy? The president of the Republic. All those who say that this is militarization, it is not militarization, militarization would be yes. “Whoever dictated the entire security policy was an institution solely of the Army and that is not the case, the security policy is defined by the Government of the Republic,” Sheinbaum defended this Monday.
