During a session marked by the irruption of several hundred demonstrators in the Senate chamber – which forced the parliamentarians to temporarily suspend the debates – the Mexican senators approved, on Wednesday 11 September, a judicial reform that is very controversial in the country. This text provides, in particular, for the election of judges – including those of the Supreme Court – and magistrates by a “popular vote”.
Championed by outgoing leftist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (“AMLO”), the reform was adopted and approved by 86 votes, or two-thirds of the 127 senators present in the Senate, dominated by the ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) party. , left) and its allies. 41 senators voted against. The Mexican head of state, who will hand over power on 1Ahem October for Claudia Sheinbaum, also from the Morena party, maintains that the Mexican justice system is corrupt and only serves the economic interests of the elites, while more than 90% of crimes remain unpunished in Mexico, according to NGOs.
This reform, however, generates strong tensions with the United States, the country’s main trading partner, which sees it as a ” risk “ for Mexican democracy, and within Mexico, where demonstrations have been daily for several weeks. On Tuesday, several hundred protesters invaded the Senate headquarters shouting “Senators, arrest the dictator” EITHER “The judiciary will not fall”.
After crossing the security barriers, they forced the president of the Senate, Gerardo Fernández Noroña (presidential majority), to adjourn the session. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Fernández Noroña announced that the session would be moved to the former headquarters of the Senate. “There will be a reform of the judiciary”he added, before the vote was held in this improvised venue. The reform had already been adopted last week by deputies in a gymnasium, under basketball hoops, after protesters blocked the Assembly.
“The judiciary is at the service of the powerful,” according to López Obrador
Opponents say it will weaken the independence of judges and make them vulnerable to pressure from organised crime. Opposition parties PAN, PRI and Movimiento Ciudadano said they would vote against it. “We have already said it and we repeat it: we will fight to the end to prevent this attack on the Republic and democracy”wrote the senator of the Citizen Movement Alejandra Barrales. The president of the Supreme Court, Norma Piña, estimated, in a video released on social networks on Sunday, that “Demolishing the justice system is not the way forward”.
López Obrador, who has often criticized the Senate for slowing down many of his reforms, warned Mr.me Piña in the face of a possible attempt at a blockade, which according to him would constitute a “flagrant violation” of the Constitution. “What most worries those who are against this reform is that they will lose their privileges, because the judiciary is at the service of the powerful. (…) and white collar crimes »declared.
In the face of US criticism, the Mexican government denounced a “interference” of Washington in its internal affairs and has implemented ” break “ At the end of August, his relations with the United States ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, who has publicly criticized the reform on several occasions, were terminated.
