International rejection of judicial reform, probably due to economic issues: AMLO

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his surprise at the reasons that have led the United States ambassador, Ken Salazar, and other international actors to speak out against the reform of the Judicial Branch. And he alluded to a probable economic issue.

“I wonder why they are intervening so much in this matter that is the responsibility of the Mexicans? I cannot find a logical explanation, although sometimes what does not sound logical sounds metallic,” he stressed.

During his morning press conference on Wednesday, the president clarified that the pause in relations he proposed yesterday is with the U.S. ambassador and with the Canadian representative in Mexico, Graeme C. Clark —who also criticized the reform—, but not with the United States or Canada, so the relationship with those nations continues.

“The relationship with the governments continues, with Canada and the United States, (the pause) is only with the embassies, especially with the ambassador of Canada and the United States, because it is not their place to give opinions on matters that only concern Mexicans.”

The head of the Executive questioned Salazar’s statements, who said that the direct election of judges, magistrates and ministers – a central point of the judicial reform – would represent “a risk for the functioning of democracy in Mexico and for the integration of the economies of the United States, Mexico and Canada.”

In this regard, López Obrador stressed: “Imagine if the United States ambassador says that if judges are elected, democracy is affected. If democracy, as has been said, according to our Constitution, allows our people to change their form of government, and democracy has to do with the participation of the people, that the people choose, and not the leaders of economic and political power.”

In defending his constitutional reform initiative once again, the Tabasco native stated that municipal presidents, local and federal deputies, senators, governors and the president, “now the president,” are elected by direct and secret vote in the country.

He then asked: “And neither the ministers of the Court nor the judges will be able to be elected? Why? Especially when the Judicial Branch is completely ruined, invaded by corruption.”

He gave an example of what recently occurred within the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, when the Chief Justice, Noroña Piña, accepted an appeal filed by the national leader of the PAN, Marko Cortés, to annul the qualified majority in the Chamber of Deputies of the Transformation Movement, which was already endorsed by the electoral bodies.

He stressed that according to the Constitution, this decision is not up to the Court, but to the General Council of the National Electoral Institute and the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation.

“This is elementary, it is in the Constitution, didn’t the president of the PAN know it first? How dare he make such a proposal? Because it is attempting a very serious illegality, a violation of the Constitution. But well, accepting without conceding that the president of the PAN does not know what the Constitution establishes, the president of the SCJN accepts the appeal and refers it to a minister! Even this minister, who is politically undefined, was afraid (and said): ‘What is this?’. He even reacted: ‘No, not this’”, he said in reference to the argument to reject the decision of Minister Piña given by his colleague Juan Luis González Alcántara Carrancá.

I project a video of the most recent session of the Court where González Alcántara Carrancá refuses to accept said appeal and argues that the decision to assign plurinominal deputies and senators corresponds solely to the electoral bodies.

“Here’s something to learn from! Just imagine, that was yesterday, right? The process was submitted on Friday. And this is the judiciary that they are defending?” the president questioned.