Foreign business chambers have been warning that Mexico’s judiciary overhaul will harm foreign companies and undermine investment. President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum has sought to reassure investors by calling the changes a pro-democracy measure. However, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed on Friday that the plan is aimed directly at foreign firms.
López Obrador stated that corrupt judges and ministers are defending these companies, which come to “loot, rob, and harm the Mexican economy.” He questioned whether they would continue to represent these foreign companies. Critics argue that the constitutional changes will severely damage the independence of the judiciary by making them more loyal to their constituents or the ruling party than to the law.
They also express concerns about how such massive elections could be carried out without allowing drug cartels and criminals to field their own candidates. This has been a setback for Sheinbaum, who has spent her entire career as López Obrador’s protégée and has promised to continue all his policies.
Sheinbaum has defended the changes while also trying to reassure foreign investors by meeting with business leaders and international lending organizations. However, US business chambers, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, banks, and financial analysts have expressed concerns that elected judges may feel more loyalty to their constituents or López Obrador’s ruling party than to the law.
López Obrador has continuously attacked foreign energy companies for weakening the state-owned power company he championed. He accused these firms of charging too much for electricity and claimed they displayed “the attitude of conquistadores” who subjugated and looted Mexico in the 1500s.
The proposed overhaul, which passed the lower house this week and will be voted on by the Senate next week, aims to replace 7,000 judges nationwide with elected officials. Critics argue that this would deal a severe blow to the independence of the judiciary and make them more loyal to their constituents or the ruling party than to the law.
Under the current system, judges qualify for higher positions based on their record, but under the proposed changes, anyone with a law degree and some experience “in judicial areas” could become a judge through popular vote. The overhaul has sparked protests by judges, court employees, and students across Mexico in recent weeks.
Mexico’s courts have long been plagued by corruption and opacity, but they have undergone reforms to make them more open and accountable in the last 15 years. The Centro Pro human rights groups have called on the Senate to reject the measure, saying it “affects the life of democracy, endangers human rights, and violates Mexico’s international obligations.”
Foreign investment is crucial to Mexico’s economy, mostly from the US. López Obrador finishes his term on September 30, leaving Sheinbaum, who will be inaugurated the next day, to address the consequences of the overhaul. The overhaul has fueled a wave of protests by judges, court employees, and students across Mexico in recent weeks.
Source: ABC News
