In a move that could have impacts far beyond its borders, Mexico’s Senate voted on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in favor of overhauling the country’s judiciary, an effort led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The approval clears the way for the contentious constitutional revision that forces all judges, including supreme court judges, to run for election. The legislation must now be ratified by the legislatures in at least 17 of the country’s 32 states.
López Obrador, who has ignored courts in the past, said that the plan cracks down on corruption by making it easier to punish judges.
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President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, a López Obrador protégé, endorsed the overhaul, claiming it “will strengthen the delivery of justice in this country.”
However, critics fear it will do the opposite, threatening Mexico’s democracy and international relations.
Experts note that the reform could allow criminals to influence or politicians to sway judges’ opinions. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar called the reform a “risk” to democracy and economic threat.
The changes have also scared investors, who have threatened to pull out of Mexico on the grounds the move violates the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement. They claim politicizing the court would jeopardize resolving international trade disputes, arguing that the reforms would “dismantle” the country’s “antitrust agency” and other protections.
Hundreds of protesters joined by opposition senators stormed the Senate chamber on Tuesday, Sept. 10, calling on lawmakers to strike down the proposal.
