Mexico gives Army control of National Guard, sparks clash with U.N

FILE PHOTO: Police officers stand guard outside at Mexico's Senate building as senators attend a session at Mexico's senate to discusses an initiative by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to give the Army control over the civilian-led National Guard, in Mexico City, Mexico September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Romero

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday defiantly dismissed criticism of his security policy by domestic adversaries and the United Nations after Congress voted to give the Army control over the civilian-led National Guard.

By a margin of 71 to 51, senators early on Friday passed a bill ceding control of the National Guard to the Army, which has fed concerns about the militarization of public security.