Mexico Launches "Yes to Disarmament" Gun Buyback Program

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has officially launched a nationwide gun buyback campaign designed to reduce the number of weapons circulating in Mexico. The program, named "Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace," encourages citizens to anonymously surrender firearms at designated drop-off locations throughout the country in exchange for monetary compensation.

At the launch event on Friday, President Sheinbaum emphasized the program's goals of reducing violence and creating safer communities. "Why must we teach our children anything about violence?" she asked during the ceremony, which included the symbolic destruction of a weapon by soldiers.

How the Program Works

The initiative builds upon a model that has operated in Mexico City since 2019 but now expands to a national scale. The program will be jointly administered by the defense, interior, and public safety ministries, with additional support from Mexican religious authorities.

People who surrender weapons will not face investigation, preserving the anonymity of participants. All collected firearms will be destroyed after collection.

Key Details

• Program Name: "Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace"
• Launch Date: January 10, 2025
• Locations: Designated drop-off points across Mexico, including churches
• Partnerships: Defense, interior, and public safety ministries, with support from religious authorities
• Terms of Exchange:
  • Revolvers: 8,700 pesos ($430)
  • AK-47 rifles: 25,000 pesos ($1,200)
  • Machine guns: 26,450 pesos ($1,300)
• Eligibility: Open to all possessing firearms, with guaranteed anonymity
• Additional Feature: Children at the launch event exchanged toy guns for educational toys

Context of Gun Violence in Mexico

The buyback program comes as Mexico continues to struggle with widespread violence linked to drug trafficking and organized crime. According to preliminary data from the national statistics institute, Mexico recorded 31,062 homicides in 2023, with firearms responsible for approximately 70 percent of these deaths.

Despite Mexico's strict gun control laws that make legal firearm purchases nearly impossible, weapons continue to flood the country. A significant portion of these firearms originate from the United States, with estimates suggesting between 200,000 and 500,000 U.S. firearms are smuggled into Mexico annually—a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the "iron river."

Cross-Border Implications

Mexico has repeatedly urged Washington to address arms trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border. American attorney Jonathan Lowy, who was enlisted by Mexico to help combat this issue, told "60 Minutes" in December: "If you think fentanyl overdoses are a problem, if you think migration across the border is a problem, if you think the spread of organized crime is a problem in the United States, then you should care about stopping the crime gun pipeline to Mexico. And you need to stop it at its source. Because all those problems are driven by the supply of U.S. guns to the cartels."

The "Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace" program represents one component of what President Sheinbaum describes as the government's "integral strategy" for fighting crime and reducing violence in Mexico.