The former secretary of state in the Trump administration says the constitutional changes will cause chaos on the border and probably start a trade war
Mike Pompeo, who was Secretary of State in the Donald Trump era, said that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) reforms, including the judicial reform, will be a disaster for Mexico and will wreck relations with the United States.
In an article in The Wall Street Journal, Pompeo says that “the expected constitutional and political changes in Mexico will alter the bilateral relationship with the United States, cause chaos on the border and probably start a trade war. The result will be economic stagnation in Mexico. Only the cartels that introduce poison into both nations will benefit.”
He adds that López Obrador “seems determined to approve a series of “reforms” to eliminate independent regulators or merge their offices with agencies of the Executive Branch. This, in clear violation of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada, would paralyze investor confidence in the Mexican system. The flow of foreign direct investment from the United States will dry up.”
He stresses that “the reforms will hurt Mexico, drive away investment and ruin relations with the US.”
Pompeo details that “more problematic for foreign investors: a proposal for all local and federal judges in Mexico, including the Supreme Court, to be elected by popular vote. That is the end of the game for judicial resources in Mexico if a foreign investor has a dispute with a powerful political actor or interest.”
He recalls that the T-MEC has a review for 2026 and the reforms could lead the agreement to a future “disaster.” The treaty “is essential for American jobs. If it were destroyed, the beneficiaries” would be China, he adds.
He says that “judicial reform would undermine US efforts in Mexico. He says that since 2008, “the US has invested billions in building an independent and competent judiciary in Mexico.” “The hope was to increase prosecution rates (reduce impunity), strengthen the rule of law and force organized crime to be held accountable before justice.”
He adds that “AMLO’s plan to have elected judges would break almost two decades of progress in one fell swoop.”
He points out that “this would not work: organized crime controls a third of the territory in Mexico, a record number of candidates were killed in the course of recent elections. The notion that Mexico can have an independent judiciary with elected judges at all levels is absurd and dangerous.”
Pompeo also criticizes the power that López Obrador has given to the National Guard.
“Mexican voters gave virtual president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum sweeping power (…) Mexicans, led by Sheinbaum, must intervene now to change the course of their city and the Biden administration must defend US interests by helping them do so.”
Source: eluniversal
