The Culture of Peace in the abyss: The absence of a political strategy of pacification in the face of violence in Mexico during the AMLO government

Abstract

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, at the beginning of his mandate (2018-2024), proposed changing the security paradigm trough various pacification strategies such as “national, state and regional coordination”; in addition to proposing “Undertake the construction of peace”; it is even proposed to promote “Culture for peace, for well-being and for all”, int he National Development Plan, with the aim of pacifying the country.

After five years of government, peace is an issue that has focused on guaranteeing order and tranquility, through the creation of police, peace and security coordination tables and militarization, strategies that have not pacified the country nor have they allowed the reduction of violence, on the contrary, it has been exacerbated.

Peace, from the perspective of the federal government, is synonymous with order and tranquility, a definition that, while not incorrect, is limited if we want to aspire to build a culture of peace. Basically, it is a negative peace, that is, defined as the absence of direct violence, armed conflicts, through militarism and law enforcement.

In this sense, the evidence collected through government reports from 2019 to 2023 allows us to conclude that the pacification policy is not oriented towards the construction of a culture of peace to generate spaces for dialogue, tolerance, empathy, solidarity, but a of a strong increase in law enforcement to confront violence.