Overview and Background
The Mexican Senate approved a new law establishing the Guardia Nacional (GN), a public security force under the Defense Secretariat, by 75 votes in favor from Morena, PVEM, and PT parties, and 34 against from PAN, PRI, and MC parties. The legislation, which amends six laws and two military codes, aims to align with the constitutional reform that created the Federal Government’s Guardia Nacional.
Key Figures and Perspectives
Juanita Guerra, president of the Guardia Nacional Commission, highlighted that after six years of operation, the GN enjoys a 75% acceptance rate among the public. However, opposition parties raised concerns about the law’s implications.
- PAN Representative Enrique Vargas: Criticized Morena representatives, including former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, for allegedly contradicting their current stance on the issue.
- PRI Representative Néstor Camarillo: Warned that the reform strengthens the military structure of the GN, granting it powers that could become tools for repression without proper oversight. He expressed concerns about the potential for unjustified surveillance, including real-time geolocation, social media monitoring, and the use of simulated users.
- Movimiento Ciudadano (MC) Coordinator Clemente Castañeda: Argued that militarization is a false escape from violence and insecurity, offering no contribution to peace-building.
Controversial Provisions in the New Law
The new law grants the GN various responsibilities, including preventing crimes and administrative offenses through investigative work in collaboration with the National Intelligence Council for Public Security and the Executive Secretariat of the National System of Public Security.
Biometric CURP and Data Privacy Concerns
In a fast-tracked process, the Chamber of Deputies approved reforms related to searching for, locating, and identifying missing persons. The reforms include the implementation of a biometric CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población) as the sole identifier for citizens, which must be linked to any records held by authorities or individuals.
- CURP Biométrica: This digital system will store all personal and physical information, integrating public and private records associated with each individual. The aim is to aid in investigations, searches, and locating missing persons by allowing fiscal and security institutions to access relevant data.
- National Investigation Files Base: Operated by the Executive Secretariat of the National System of Public Security, this base will be updated in real-time by Specialized Prosecutors across all 32 states.
- Unique Identity Platform: Centralizes biométric and personal data for the entire population.
- Immediate Alert System: Activated upon learning of a disappearance, facilitating search, location, and identification efforts.
- New Sanctions: Penalize individuals hindering data delivery and reduce penalties for those aiding in locating missing persons.
Opposition legislators warned that these reforms contain significant and delicate changes regarding the population’s biometric and personal data, lacking thorough privacy impact assessments or minimal protection guarantees.
