In Mexico, citizens who choose to surrender their weapons will be able to benefit from financial compensation of up to $1,300 (26,450 pesos) for a machine gun, and $200 (4,080 pesos) for a grenade launcher. This arms exchange program was detailed in the Official Journal of the Federation published on January 6.
The program entitled “yes to disarmament, yes to peace” aims to encourage the population to exchange their firearms for monetary compensation. As reported by our colleagues from Anadolu, this initiative is led by the ministries of Defense, Interior and Public Security. Citizens even have the possibility of depositing their weapons in churches, according to the Mexican government.
Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexican president and driving force behind this disarmament policy, has guaranteed that no legal action will be taken against those who surrender their weapons, thus respecting the framework of her overall security strategy. Since the program was introduced in Mexico City in May 2019, approximately 8,797 weapons and 1.2 million rounds of ammunition have been recovered.
According to the authorities, this program will be extended to the entire country to combat rampant crime. In 2023, Mexico recorded 31,062 homicides, 70% of which were caused by firearms. Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador stressed that the majority of these homicides are linked to conflicts between criminal groups for control of territories or drug trafficking. The information was initially published on the Anadolu website and relayed by the source.
