Generals at the Gates (Military Power and Social Change in Mexico)

An unflinching account of how the Mexican armed forces became the unexpected powerbrokers in national life

Drawing on in-depth research and on-the-ground reporting, journalist Dawn Marie Paley reveals an oft-overlooked transformation in how power is organized in Mexico. On any given day, nearly a quarter of a million troops from the Army, Marines, and National Guard patrol the countryside and the streets, tasked with detaining migrants, policing communities, making arrests, and overseeing prohibition. Today, generals and admirals control customs houses, airports, railways, ports, and even luxury hotels and a national airline—embedding the military deep within the country’s civilian and economic life.