Tensions have been rising in Mexico for months over the president’s sweeping plans to reform the judiciary, straining diplomatic ties with america and shaking up the nation’s political system.
This week, that stress exploded into the open.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico mentioned on Tuesday that his authorities was “placing on maintain” relations with the US embassy in response to criticism from the US ambassador over the newest campaign of his six-year presidency.
“We hope there can be a press release from them that they may respect the independence of Mexico,” Mr. López Obrador mentioned of america throughout his day by day information convention. “Till that occurs and so they proceed with this coverage, then there’s a pause with the embassy.”
‘Pause’ means we will take a break,” he added, saying that might lengthen to the US State Division. On the identical time, Mr López Obrador additionally mentioned the general US-Mexico relationship wouldn’t be affected, in a potential try and ease considerations concerning the potential impact on commerce.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico and the Mexican International Ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The president’s freeze on diplomatic relations with america follows feedback made final week by Ken Salazar, the US ambassador, a call the proposed judicial adjustments “a serious danger to the functioning of democracy in Mexico.” Mr. Salazar mentioned the measures might threaten Mexico’s commerce relationship with america by undermining confidence in Mexico’s authorized framework and inspiring drug cartels to “benefit from politically motivated and inexperienced judges.”
Mexico’s new Congress might start voting as early as subsequent week on the adjustments proposed by Mr. López Obrador. If handed, they might transfer your entire judiciary from an appointment system based mostly largely on specialised coaching and {qualifications} to 1 wherein virtually anybody with a regulation diploma and some years of expertise might stand for election to grow to be a choose.
The measure might probably drive greater than 5,000 judges out of their jobs, from the Supreme Courtroom to native district courts.
Mr López Obrador says the overhaul is required to forestall corruption and rulings that permit drug traffickers to go free.
However others, citing a spate of assaults by the president on judges who’ve dominated in opposition to a few of his plans, say the measures are a thinly veiled pretext to undermine judicial independence and strengthen the facility of Mr. López’s nationalist political motion Obrador.
“This president doesn’t imagine that the judges have the legitimacy to problem him,” mentioned Ana Laura Magaloni, certainly one of Mexico’s high legal professionals. “There has by no means been a president with such highly effective powers of their final month in workplace,” she added, mentioning how approval of Mr López Obrador’s as soon as stalled tasks for the judiciary was now instantly in his palms.
