Demonstrators break into Mexico's Senate building.
In Mexico City, a tumultuous scene unfolded at the Senate as protesters disrupted discussions surrounding a contentious judicial reform. Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña issued a call for an "indefinite break" as the crowd breached the Senate building. Footage from television broadcasts captured numerous protesters making their way into the chamber.
The federal judicial overhaul advocated by outgoing left-leaning and populist president Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposes the direct election of judges on Supreme Court and lower courts through a public vote. Last Sunday, a rally saw judges, law students, and judicial officials taking to the streets to speak out against the reform during the Senate's initial deliberations.
The House of Representatives had previously given the reform its approval. The decisive vote in the Senate was scheduled to take place on Tuesday or Wednesday. With the ruling Morena party holding a substantial majority in the chamber, the proposal appeared set for passage.
Proponents of the reform assert that Mexico's current judiciary predominantly serves the interests of the political and economic elite rather than the general public. Incoming president Claudia Sheinbaum, who takes the reins on October 1, also supports this proposal.
Nevertheless, critics warn that the political integrity of Mexico's judicial system could be compromised and its independence threatened. They also cite worries that powerful drug cartels, which exert control over significant parts of the country and therefore have an impact on voting, could significantly infiltrate and influence the judiciary. The United States government has also issued a caution against the reform, highlighting potential issues with investor trust in Mexico's legal system.
Despite the House of Representatives' approval and the ruling Morena party's majority in the Senate, protests against the judicial reform continued to intensify. On the day of the scheduled vote, thousands of citizens flooded the streets, voicing their concerns about the potential impact of direct judge elections on the integrity of the judicial system.
