Mexico

On 17 and 18 April, Mexico’s Supreme Court (SCJN) issued two rulings that reduce some of the power the military had recently been granted. Firstly, the SCJN limited the armed forces’ ability to intercept communications between citizens. It comes amid recent revelations that the current government and military have spied on journalists, human rights activists, and opposition politicians and that the Mexican military was ‘the first and most prolific’ user of the Pegasus spyware, which had been allegedly used to spy on civilians as recently as the second half of 2022. Second, the SCJN declared that transferring control of the National Guard (GN) from the Public Security Ministry to the defence ministry (SEDENA) was unconstitutional. Government officials had claimed that the GN needs to be under the control of the military to prevent corruption and guarantee the force’s professionalism. Although President López Obrador criticised the SCJN, the decisions have been received positively by national and international leaders.

Militarization Personal Integrity and Security Supreme Court Surveillance

The head of Mexico’s Supreme Court, Norma Lucía Piña, received an online death threat that went viral on social media. Mexican judges and magistrates condemned the death threat on 2 March. The National Bar Association of Mexico similarly released a statement condemning the attack and demanded greater respect from government officials towards members of the judiciary. In the weeks following Piña’s election as head of the Supreme Court, and while stating the need to respect judicial independence, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had voiced strong criticism and accusations of corruption against the federal judiciary. During his daily press briefings, he had even voiced his opinion that a “wave of judicial decisions that favour alleged criminals” coincided with the beginning of the Court’s new Presidency. After the dissemination of the threat against Piña, López Obrador insisted on the need to openly discuss corruption and has been criticised both for fuelling distrust in the judiciary, as well as for minimizing the incident.

Personal Integrity and Security Hate Speech Supreme Court Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Norma Lucia Piña Hernández

After initial discussion and approval in December by the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, on 22 February Congress passed the “Plan B” electoral reform, which entered into force on 3 March. In response, on 26 February large demonstrations took place across the country against what protesters say are attempts to undermine the electoral authorities, particularly the National Electoral Institute (INE).  Since the reform was first proposed, it has been met with extensive international and nationwide criticism, as it effectively reduces the structure, staff, and power of the National Electoral Institute (INE), impacts its autonomy, loosens restrictions on campaigning and propaganda as well as INE’s enforcement capabilities on the subject. Some opponents have described the reform as an attack on democracy itself and have expressed concern over how the overhaul to INE’s structure will obstruct its ability to effectively organize and oversee elections. The reform also includes provisions related to the vote of Mexicans living abroad and electronic voting. Mexico’s opposition parties and the INE have filed constitutional challenges before the Supreme Court (SCJN), which is expected to consider them in the coming months. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denies the reforms are a threat to democracy and argues the Plan B’s measures will increase the efficiency of the electoral system, result in savings of hundreds of millions of dollars a year and reduce the influence of economic interests in politics. 

Protests Electoral Management Body Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Electoral Reform Plan B

On 2 January the Mexican Supreme Court (SCJN) elected Norma Lucia Piña Hernández as the first woman to serve as chief justice in the court’s history. Justices voted by six votes to five to elect Piña Hernández to lead the nation’s highest judicial body. In her post-election speech, Piña highlighted the importance of having a woman preside over the SCJN, stating a previously impenetrable glass ceiling has been broken and that she would represent all women in the role. She pledged to work towards “a fairer, more egalitarian society, without violence for women”.

Gender Equality Supreme Court Norma Lucia Piña Hernández