Mexico’s army takes over yet another civilian role — filling potholes

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president acknowledges the armed forces have taken over yet another civilian role: filling potholes on the nation’s highways. Planes, trains and policing already were among the areas under military control. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday that highway maintenance in southern Mexico had been transferred from the Transportation Department, which usually gave private contracts for road maintenance. But López Obrador claimed those contracts were expensive and riddled with corruption. He has given the armed forces the leading role in law enforcement and entrusted them with far more duties than his predecessors. Mexico’s army has long stayed out of politics, but critics say the latest changes are threatening to break that tradition and militarize the country.