Catholic Church joins national voluntary disarmament

The Catholic Church will participate in the voluntary disarmament program, an initiative in collaboration with the federal government, which seeks to “transform pain into hope and weapons into opportunities for peace.”

In a message broadcast through social networksthe Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM) reported that the churches “will be willing to open the doors of the atriums so that people can surrender weapons voluntarily and safely.”

“As a Church, we reaffirm our commitment to forgiveness, reconciliation and the construction of a prosperous and peaceful Mexico,” the CEM indicated in its message.

This statement responds to the announcement made by President Claudia Sheinbaum on December 17 at a press conferencewho reported on the expansion of the program better known as “Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace” – carried out in Mexico City and other states – to more states in 2025.

According to Sheinbaum, the program will allow citizens to “voluntarily surrender their weapon and are given economic resources, based on the weapon they are surrendering, without any prior investigation; “What we want is to disarm.”

In addition to disarmament, Sheinbaum mentioned other security actions such as the strengthening of the National Guard, reforms to expand the powers of the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, and close coordination with state governments through the so-called Peace Cabinets.

“Each governor has his own strategy; We have to participate, along with the governors, and we guide everyone to participate in the Peace Cabinet,” he said.

Program results

The program, which began in Mexico City 12 years ago, has been implemented since 2021 in several locations in 63 municipalities in 21 states, including Coahuila, Guerrero, Zacatecas, State of Mexico, Oaxaca, Durango, Chiapas, Hidalgo and Tabasco .

According to a report of the Secretary of Citizen Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), to date, not counting Mexico City, 1,678 firearms have been collected, which represents a disbursement of more than 8 million pesos (around 420,000 US dollars ).

Among the objects that have been received, there are 849 short weapons, 573 long weapons, 236 grenades, 15 cartridges of dynamite, 73,279 cartridges, 2,939 cacerinas and 1,733 detonating capsules.

What is the voluntary disarmament program about?

According to the Guidelines of the Peace Fairs and Voluntary Disarmament Actionpublished in the Official Gazette of the Federation in 2024, the program aims to “encourage the construction of peace and promote values, attitudes and behaviors that reject violence and address the causes that generate it.”

Likewise, it seeks to raise awareness among the population “about the danger and consequences of possessing firearms, ammunition or explosives in the home.” Those who turn in their weapons will be offered incentives that can reach up to 25,000 Mexican pesos (about $1,230 US dollars), depending on the type of weapon.

“The security of citizens and the construction of peace constitute the main motivation for which this action will be launched throughout the country,” the document highlights,

In addition to reducing the number of firearms in the hands of the civilian population, the aim is to “influence the reduction of the incidence of crime” and “prevent the recruitment of youth by crime,” among other objectives.

The program also includes activities aimed at children, such as the exchange of war toys for educational ones, and has a module where legal advice and free psychological care are offered.