MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared the country's war on drugs over Wednesday, saying his government would no longer prioritize using the army to capture cartel kingpins. Mexico has deployed its army since 2006 to fight its powerful drug cartels. Lopez Obrador has proposed a series of social programs he says will end the poverty that drives violent crime. But he is also pushing for a national guard with tens of thousands of soldiers that would officially bring civilian police duties under military control. Rights groups say the national guard plan would militarize the country permanently.

Source: Philippine Star January 31, 2019 03:11 UTC