Federico Reyes Heroles
True strength comes from recognizing limitations.
Mahatma Gandhi
The word pride is misleading. He is imperious! It alludes to arrogance and vanity. At the other extreme, to be proud of someone, an ancestor or a descendant, of an institution fills the soul. It is a motive for life.
Images circulate of citizens furious at being stranded in the middle of the jungle. “We have already been here for more than four hours; it is a service we paid for; they didn’t give it to us as a gift; why are they deceiving us?” passengers of the Mayan Train complained to the company’s representative. There was no convincing answer. The Armed Forces are behind this service. Recently, I was looking at a brand new branch of the Banco del Bienestar, which, as always, was empty. In front of the luxurious entrance, a marquee of… drinks. In Acapulco, the military vehicles provided popular transportation. Sounds good, except that the companies suspended their services, with the inherent costs, due to insecurity and extortions.
The government’s inability -of all three levels- to regain control is pathetic. The military should not be transporting people but fighting drug trafficking. It is already a source of mockery; after some bloody clash among cartels, the National Guard appears on site, walks around for a few days, and then… disappears. “I need to remodel my bathroom and enlarge a closet. Any Army generals you can recommend?”. The sarcastic provocation invaded social networks. A doctor at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases contracted COVID-19 when the Armed Forces transferred the personnel of that Institution to be vaccinated at the Military College. Soldiers vaccinate doctors! The stories are endless.
Article 129 of our Constitution is very clear: “In times of peace, no military authority may exercise more functions than those that have an exact connection with military discipline”. Today, the Armed Forces have about 250 civilian functions assigned to them. For the vast majority of them, they have no special training. In these, they are weak, exposing themselves to failure and ridicule by not recognizing this. This militarization has been severely criticized for the deformation and risk it implies. A very dear friend of mine takes up a popular image. Removing the Armed Forces from their functions is easy, like squeezing toothpaste. The problem is to put them back. But there is another angle.
I have had the splendid opportunity to deal with the military. In fact, as a recent graduate, I gave many talks at the various Ministry of Defense schools. I have always admired the deep pride with which they express themselves about their Institution. I had a long and good friendship with a colonel, Alfredo Valdes, who was originally from Sonora. We used to have lunch from time to time. He died of covid. I remember his stories, his experience in the Guerrero highlands, and the need to assign activities to the soldiers during the long days. The mental health of “the guys” was his primary concern. Basketball was the alternative: cheap, simple, and competitive. He shattered his spine from bouncing around.
As time went by, and after watching from afar the barrage of coups d’état in Central and South America, I understood the exceptional character of our Armed Forces. An armed populace, a popular character, not elitist as in the Southern Cone, an important source of social mobility, professional preparation, and strict adherence to the Constitution. From Patagonia to the Suchiate, their peaceful and institutional character is an exception. Of course, there have been terrible chapters, such as 1968 or the “Dirty War”. Now, it is different. For example, the Mayan Train and the “ghost” companies surrounding it have benefited some. But many of them are deeply upset. From 2007 to date, they have lost 11% of citizens’ trust (Latinobarómetro 2023). Let us project.
The Armed Forces have never before been exposed to losing their most valuable asset: to feel proud of belonging to them.
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