Mexico's lower house backs giving Army control of National Guard

FILE PHOTO: Members of the National Guard's newly created Special Force of Reaction and Intervention (FERI) stand during the force's official presentation ceremony in Mexico City, Mexico, August 16, 2022. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's lower house of Congress early on Saturday passed a bill to give the Army control over the civilian-led National Guard in a controversial move that critics say will unconstitutionally tighten the military's grip over law and order.

The legislative push marks something of a reversal for leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who promised on the campaign trail to deemphasize the military's control over public security but has presided over record violence during nearly four years in office.