Mexico City, Mexico – Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday announced an indefinite “pause” with the embassies of Canada and the United States. The move was a fiery response to criticism leveled by both diplomatic envoys against López Obrador’s controversial judicial reform, which some have called a threat to Mexican democracy.
The Mexican president, also known by his initials AMLO, described the North American ambassadors’ remarks as an attack on Mexico’s sovereignty and denounced what he called an interventionist policy.
“Until that is in place and they continue with that policy, there will be a pause. With the Embassy”, said AMLO during his morning conference on Tuesday. “They must learn to respect the sovereignty of Mexico; it is not a trivial matter. We’re not going to advise them on right or wrong, so we want them to be respectful.”
The constitutional reform would elect judges and magistrates at the federal level by popular vote. Pushed by the president, this ambitious bill is expected to be quickly implemented by the majority of the ruling Morena party, which controls the Mexican Congress.
The reform has caused concern and rejection within Mexican society and its institutions. Since August 21, judges and magistrates have joined more than 55,000 justice workers in protest and gone on strike, shutting down courts and tribunals in Mexico.
Additionally, US Ambassador Ken Salazar and Canadian Ambassador Graeme C. Clark praised the upcoming reform, expressing concerns about the risk it could pose to Mexican democracy and the investment climate.
Namely, the two representatives for Mexico’s largest trading partners commented that by electing judges through popular vote, Mexico’s judiciary could be left vulnerable to corruption and cause mistrust among investors who may fear that potential legal disputes could favor the party in power.
Likewise, the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico (AmCham) and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico (CanCham) issued individual statements criticizing the reform and its impact on trade and investment.
While both ambassadors have emphasized that their opinions are not intended to be taken as an attempt to interfere in internal Mexican processes, López Obrador said that the pause in diplomatic relations will continue, however, only against embassies and ambassadors and not the governments they represent.
“The relations with the governments continue, with Canada and the United States, are only with the embassies and especially with the ambassadors of Canada and the United States, because it is not up to them to give their opinion,” he said.
