The Latin American Report # 314: the pulse between MORENA and the Mexican judiciary continues over controversial reform

The legislative initiative promoted by AMLO and his political force that—among other things—seeks to have some 7,000 judges and magistrates elected directly by the people continues to polarize the Aztec nation. There is a good chance that the project will receive congressional blessing, which must also be joined by at least 17 states. The issue has international repercussions, as governments such as the U.S. and important business consortiums have stated that the legislative agenda being advanced by MORENA will hit investor confidence. “If it is not done in the right way, it can bring a lot of damage to the (bilateral) relationship. There is a lot of concern”, said the U.S. ambassador to Mexico last Tuesday. On the same date, the ministers of the Supreme Court agreed to join the strike that judicial branch workers have been staging for days. Given the level of protests, Mexican deputies discussed the reform in a sports arena. The bill was approved without problems because MORENA and its allies control the “lower house” without the need to negotiate with the opposition.

There are already economic repercussions. “Given the current circumstances, we have decided not to announce [a] huge American investment scheduled because we are analyzing the impact to legal certainty regarding the judicial reform”, said the president of an organization representing interests of U.S. private capital on Mexican soil. I fear that the suspension of the announcements is a way to pressure AMLO and Sheinbaum coordinated by opponents of the reform both inside and outside the country. There is also pressure on the Mexican peso, which had been performing well until before the elections. As I have argued on other occasions, it is true that judicial “independence” could be affected under the system envisioned by the reform, but it is also true that nothing guarantees that the current system does so, that it is not permeable to corruption. Indeed, it is a fact that dark interests have penetrated the “independent” judicial system in place. There is an interesting argument on the side of MORENA: the people voted overwhelmingly for its candidates last June, knowing that this reform was on its way.

On Thursday, the protesters set up camp around the Senate headquarters in order to continue their protest, after “losing” the battle with AMLO's deputies. In the Senate, MORENA and its allies are just one vote away from being unstoppable in any legislative undertaking they propose. The discussion of the comprehensive project there will begin on Sunday, and it is expected to be voted in the plenary on Wednesday. Because of the protests, the senators are scheduled to session in a former seat, Xicoténcatl. “[There is] no power on earth that can stop our legislative process”, said the Senate president, in a clear allusion to the pulse they have with three judges who ordered Congress to stop the process related to the reform. “They have no legal basis, it would be an aberration and certainly a flagrant violation of the Constitution to stop the process of analysis, discussion and in its case approval of the constitutional reform dedicated to the Judiciary”, said AMLO, who refers to the latter as a "rotten" power at the service of organized crime.

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And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.