Mexico to extend army's street presence until 2029 to tackle rampant violence

FILE PHOTO: Members of the Mexican National Guard and the Mexican army check a car at a military checkpoint, as part of a security operation to reduce violence, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, September 9, 2022. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's lower house of Congress on Wednesday voted to keep the army on the country's streets for five more years, raising fears about the president's efforts to militarize public security.

It is the second boost to the military's power this month, after the upper house last week approved giving the army control over the National Guard, a military police force created in 2019.