President Claudia Sheinbaum said the Guardia Nacional is a central pillar of Mexico's National Strategy for Building Peace during a ceremony on June 30 [1].
The statement signals a commitment to a holistic security model that combines military-style policing with social interventions to reduce crime. By positioning the force as a tool for peace rather than just enforcement, the administration seeks to legitimize the long-term presence of the Guardia Nacional in civilian areas.
Speaking in Mérida, Yucatán, Sheinbaum marked the seven-year anniversary of the force [1]. She said that the creation of the Guardia Nacional is a feat [2]. The president said that security policy must move beyond the use of force to address the root causes of violence, strengthen intelligence operations, and improve coordination between different government institutions [3].
This approach follows a recent shift in the agency's responsibilities. On May 27, a decree established that the Guardia Nacional would take charge of security and traffic on federal highways [4]. This move integrates road safety into the broader national security framework, a transition that aligns with the administration's goal of centralized oversight.
Defense officials have echoed the president's sentiment regarding the agency's importance. A spokesperson for National Defense said the Guardia Nacional is the maximum project of the Mexican state in terms of public security [5].
Sheinbaum said that the strategy for building peace relies on this inter-institutional coordination to ensure that the presence of security forces is supported by social development. The president said that the force remains essential for maintaining order while the government works to dismantle the drivers of instability [3].
“"La creación de la Guardia Nacional es una hazaña"”
The administration's emphasis on a 'holistic' approach suggests an attempt to balance the high visibility of the Guardia Nacional with social programs to avoid the perception of a purely militarized state. By integrating highway security and intelligence-led policing, the government is consolidating the agency's role as the primary domestic security arm, moving away from fragmented local policing toward a centralized federal model.
