By Brooke Mallory, OAN Staff
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 4:44 PM
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced on Tuesday that Mexico would suspend official contact with its embassies after representatives of the United States and Canada voiced opposition to judicial reform proposals that he supports.
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“There is a pause” in relations between the United States and Canada, Lopez Obrador said at a news conference.
The president has pushed for reforms that would allow Mexicans to choose their own judges, including Supreme Court justices. The plan was approved by a committee in Mexico's lower house of parliament late Monday, paving the way for it to be ratified when the newly elected Congress takes office in September.
Critics say the reforms will stunt judges' careers, tilt power in favor of the executive and make the courts more susceptible to criminal influence, while proponents say they will “strengthen democracy” and lead to the restoration of a system they say no longer serves the public interest.
Last week, U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar called the proposed reforms a “significant risk to the functioning of Mexico's democracy” and warned of the impact they could have on commercial ties between the two countries.
Canadian Ambassador to Mexico Graham Clarke similarly warned about investment concerns.
Salazar shared an official message from the embassy dated Aug. 23.rdHe made the statement later that day in response to President Lopez Obrador's remarks.
“While the United States supports the idea of judicial reform in Mexico, we have significant concerns that popular election of judges will neither address judicial corruption nor strengthen the judicial branch of the Mexican government,” the statement said.
President Lopez Obrador has accused Salazar of interfering in domestic politics.
“How can we allow the ambassador to speak out and say that what we are doing is wrong,” Lopez Obrador added. “We will not tell him to leave the country, but we will ask him to read our constitution.”
According to President Lopez Obrador, the “suspension” will last “until we are assured that (the embassy) will respect Mexico's independence.”
In a diplomatic statement, the United States said it had “utmost respect for Mexico's sovereignty.”
The peso was down 1.65% in early afternoon trading in Mexico.
“Approval has fallen sharply since June elections in which Lopez Obrador's preferred successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, was elected president and their Morena party and its allies won a supermajority in the lower house and a near supermajority in the senate,” the paper said. Reuters.
A two-thirds majority is needed to amend the constitution, and that is required for judicial reform.
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