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The Military As a Hindrance in Mexico's Consolidation of Democracy

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The Military As a Hindrance in Mexico's Consolidation of Democracy Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive DSpace Repository Theses and Dissertations 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items 2001-12 The military as a hindrance in Mexico's consolidation of democracy Villarreal, Sergio. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/4157 Downloaded from NPS Archive: Calhoun NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS The Military As A Hindrance In Mexico’s Consolidation Of Democracy by Sergio Villarreal December 2001 Thesis Advisor: Rodney Minott Co-Advisor: Harold Trinkunas Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2001 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: The Military as a Hindrance in Mexico’s 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Consolidation of Democracy 6. AUTHOR(S) Sergio Villarreal 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION REPORT Monterey, CA 93943-5000 NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for Public release; distribution is unlimited A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The argument in this thesis is that the Mexican military stands as a hindrance in Mexico’s consolidation because of the lack of executive and legislative controls over the armed forces, and military prerogatives. The loss of power by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) left a void of control overt the military and no other mechanisms exists to control the military. The military’s prerogatives include a unique relationship to the chief executive, active-duty military participation in the cabinet, a role in intelligence and police functions and others. These prerogatives make them autonomous, intrusive in society, and are turning the country into a militarized zone, and when coupled with the lack of controls over the military, equates to a volatile mixture needing only a spark to set off an explosion of military contestation of authority. A threat to their prerogatives by politicians or the president could in the future be the spark that ignites that dangerous mixture into a contestation of authority that hinders the democratic process. Finally, the problems with insurgency, drugs, and crimes have caused the government to leave the affairs of internal security to the military, giving them more prerogatives. As a result, the military has expanded its presence throughout Mexico and fulfills many functions in society, and when coupled with a lack of executive and legislative controls over the military, hinders the consolidation of democracy. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Mexico, Transition to Democracy, Consolidation of Democracy, Mexican 15. NUMBER OF Military, Civil-Military Relations, Autonomous, Counter Drug, Counter Insurgency, High Military PAGES Prerogatives, Obstacles to Democratization, Militarization, Lack of Democratic Controls over the 98 Military, Internal Security Threat, Police Missions, Intelligence Functions, Humanitarian Functions. 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The argument in this thesis is that the Mexican military stands as a hindrance in Mexico’s consolidation of democracy because of the lack of executive and legislative controls over the armed forces, and military prerogatives. The loss of power by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) left a void of control overt the military and no other legal mechanisms exist to control the military. The military’s prerogatives include a unique relationship to the chief executive, active-duty military participation in the cabinet, a role in intelligence and police functions and others. These prerogatives make them autonomous, intrusive in society, and are turning the country into a militarized zone, and when coupled with the lack of controls over the military, equates to a volatile mixture needing only a spark to set off an explosion of military contestation of authority. A threat to their prerogatives by politicians or the president could in the future be the spark that ignites that dangerous mixture into a contestation of authority that hinders the democratic process. Finally, the problems with insurgency, drugs, and crimes have caused the government to leave the affairs of internal security to the military, giving them more prerogatives. As a result, the military has expanded its presence throughout Mexico and fulfills many functions in society, and when coupled with a lack of executive and legislative controls over the military, hinders the consolidation of democracy. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1 II. RESEARCH DESIGN: DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS, AND CONTROL OF THE MILITARY ................................................................... 5 A. WHAT IS DEMOCRACY ALL ABOUT? ................................................... 5 B. THE MILITARY IN DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS ............................. 7 1. Contestation and Prerogatives ........................................................... 8 2. The Relationship of Contestation and Prerogatives....................... 10 3. Prerogatives and Institutionalization .............................................. 11 4. Limiting Prerogatives ....................................................................... 12 5. Institutionalization ............................................................................ 12 6. The Three Arenas as a Strategy....................................................... 14 C. DEMOCRATIC MODELS IN CONTROLLING THE MILITARY’S ROLES AND MISSIONS ............................................................................. 16 1. External Defense................................................................................ 16 2. The Problems with Internal Defense Missions ............................... 16 3. Limited Domestic Involvement in Disasters and Recovery & Assistance ........................................................................................... 17 4. Limited Involvement in Counter Drug Operations (internal & external).............................................................................................. 18 D. DEMOCRATIC CONTROLS: EXECUTIVE AND STATE MEASURES................................................................................................... 19 1. Layers of Control in the Presidential Model .................................. 19 2. Layers of Control, The Parliamentary and the Ministry of Defense................................................................................................ 21 E. LEGISLATURE’S CONTROL OVER THE MILITARY ....................... 23 1. The U.S. Congress ............................................................................. 23 F. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................. 26 III. LACK OF EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE CONTROLS IN CIVIL- MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE FACE OF HIGH MILITARY PREROGATIVES..................................................................................................... 29 A. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MILITARY-PRI CONNECTION IN PRE AND POST TRANSITION ................................................................. 29 1. Warring Factions Founded the PRI ................................................ 29 2. PRI-Military Relationship: Then and Now .................................... 30 3. Is There a Void of Control Over the Military? .............................. 33 B. HIGH MILITARY PREROGATIVES ....................................................... 34 C. PRESIDENT FOX AND THE GENERALS IN HIS CABINET: OLD PRACTICES STILL REMAIN ................................................................... 36 1. Political Appointments to Active Duty Generals in Cabinet Positions.............................................................................................. 36 2. Lack of a Civilian Minister of Defense and Ombudsman ............. 38 3. The Case of General Gallardo: Prisoner of Conscience ................ 39 vii C. THE MEXICAN CONGRESS AND
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