Military-Style Ignacio Zaragoza Academy Has Operated in Puebla for More Than 70 Years
For more than 70 years, the Ignacio Zaragoza Military Academy (AMIZ) has operated in Puebla as a private educational institution offering military-style discipline. It provides education from preschool through high school, as well as a law degree and a flight attendant school under the same educational model.
On Monday, the Federal Ministry of Public Education (SEP) requested that state governments supervise basic education schools to verify that there are no institutions operating with a military-style model.
La Jornada Oriente visited the AMIZ building, located at the corner of 3 Poniente and 17 Sur in the city of Puebla. At the entrance, a man serving as a guard was wearing a khaki military-style uniform with dark shoulder boards, while two women wearing similar attire could be seen further inside.
After being informed of the reason for the visit and the request for an interview, the guard stated that it was not possible because there was no administrative or management staff present and the facility was undergoing maintenance.
When shown a video in which Eurípides Flores, head of the SEP’s Legal Affairs and Regulatory Unit, spoke to the media about the possible closure of the academy, the guard simply responded:
“That’s what they say. The truth is different!”
According to its promotional and institutional materials, AMIZ has existed for more than 70 years, placing its origins between 1954 and 1956. Historical sources indicate that it traces its roots to the Ignacio Zaragoza School, founded in 1935 by General Manuel Mijares Palencia. That institution’s military academy closed in 1974, after which a new institution with the same name was established.
AMIZ offers preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school education, and also operates a boarding program.
Students are referred to as cadets, wear military-style uniforms, participate in promotion ceremonies, and receive civic-military instruction as part of their education.
The academy defines its mission as providing “intellectual, military, and human” education.
Educational Programs
The educational system also includes the Military Academy of Law, located in the San Sebastián neighborhood, where a bachelor’s degree is offered under the same disciplinary model.
According to information published by AMIZ, this program holds the Official Recognition of Studies (RVOE) SEP-SES/21/114/01/2479/2018.
The educational center also houses the National Flight Attendant College, which trains personnel for the civil aviation industry.
A former SEP official explained that on May 24, 1943, the Official Gazette of the Federation published the Regulations for the Operation of Private Military-Type Academies, establishing that the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) was the only authority authorized to approve civilian schools of this nature.
Presumably, those regulations have never been repealed, although they conflict with the current General Education Law.
“If there were a legal dispute, the General Education Law would prevail, and the regulation would effectively become invalid,” said Juan de Dios Varela Marino, president of the Free Bar of Democratic Lawyers of Puebla, in an interview.
However, the former SEP official also explained that an RVOE does not, by itself, authorize a school’s military-style status, and that the SEP is justified in requiring full respect for human rights and the rights of children and adolescents.
No disciplinary model can justify punishment, abuse, humiliation, degrading treatment, or physical or psychological violence.
The SEP has emphasized that military education is intended exclusively for members of the armed forces and is not a recognized educational modality for basic or upper secondary education.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) clarified that it does not have the authority to authorize, inspect, or supervise private schools that advertise themselves as military-style institutions, stating that the review of educational permits is the responsibility of civil authorities.
Source: jornada
