Mexico approves president’s National Guard proposal

Mexico has approved a constitutional amendment to create a new national guard to fight the violent crime in the country.

The new national guard is president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s controversial proposal.

The reform was effectively rectified after more than half of Mexico’s 32 state legislatures voted to approve it.

Lopez Obrador’s original proposal was sharply criticized by human right groups which said the new force would permanently militarize the country.

However, the final version was modified to put a five year limit on army’s role in fighting crime and place national guard under the command of the security rather than defence ministry.