This section provides access to English-language analysis, policy documents, and press releases concerning the unfolding democratic crisis in Mexico, where the government is rapidly undermining state institutions, and the independent judiciary in particular. This collection functions as a starting point for an international audience to grasp the severity and detail of these developments, bearing in mind that the central analysis is available in the Spanish language.

Page Editors:

Dr. Mariana Velasco Rivera, Assistant Professor in Law, Maynooth University, Ireland

Irene Parra Prieto, Associate Editor, IACL-AIDC Blog

Prof. Tomás Daly, Director, DEM-DEC

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This is a collaborative resource. To submit suggested items to this collection, click the link below to share links to English-language media coverage, analyses, policy documents, and press releases that address the ongoing democratic crisis in Mexico.

FEATURED ITEMS

STATEMENTS BY FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS & OFFICIALS

MEMBERS OF US CONGRESS, Letter to US Trade Representative regarding Mexico's Constitutional Reforms (9 September 2024) 

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO – KEN SALAZAR, On Mexico’s Judicial Reform Proposal, U.S. Mission to Mexico (22 August 2024) 

STATEMENTS BY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & NGOS

MEXICAN BAR ASSOCIATION & STANFORD RULE OF LAW IMPACT LAB, The Mexican Bar Association, A.C. & Stanford Law School Rule of Law Impact Lab, Joint Statement on Mexico's Constitutional Amendment Threatening Judicial Independence (16 September 2024)

INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (IACHR), Press Release No. 213/24: ‘IACHR expresses concerns over judiciary reform in Mexico and warns of threats to judicial independence, access to justice, and rule of law’ (12 September 2024)

INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS (ICJ), Mexico: Senate Should Reject the Justice Reform Bill Undermining Judicial Independence ( 9 September 2024) 

NEW YORK CITY BAR ASSOCIATION, Statement expressing concern about the proposal to reform the Mexican Judiciary (21 August 2024) 

INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION, IBA President Statement (2 September 2024)

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JUDGES, IAJ Presidency Committee Statement on Mexico (August 2024)

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, Mexico: Proposed Constitutional Changes Threaten Rights (30 August 2024)

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LAWYERS, Statement on the Judicial Reform Planned in Mexico (19 August 2024)

ANALYSIS

ACADEMIC ANALYSIS

Papers 

Azul A. AGUIAR AGUILAR, ‘Subverting Judicial Legitimacy: Presidential Rhetoric and Democratic Erosion in Mexico’, In C. E. University (Ed.), DI working papers 2024/23 (pp. 1–33). C. E. University

Alejandro MONSIVÁIS-CARRILLO, ‘Deceitful autocratization: Subverting democracy through electoral reform in Mexico’, Latin American Policy, 2024

Blog Posts

Mariana VELASCO-RIVERA, Irene PARRA PRIETO, Jaime OLAIZ & Tom DALY, ‘Mexico’s Constitutional Democracy Under Threat: The Judicial Overhaul Is Only the Beginning’ Verfassungsblog (16 September 2024)

Mariana VELASCO-RIVERA, Jaime OLAIZ & Irene PARRA PRIETO, ‘Mexico’s constitutional democracy in crisis: the judicial overhaul is only the beginning’ IACL-AIDC Blog (12 September 2024)

Jorge GAXIOLA LAPPE, 'Why Institutional Reputation Matters' Verfassungsblog (06 September 2024)

Jaime OLAIZ GONZÁLEZ, 'Let's Be Clear: This Is Not an Amendment, But a Constitutional Replacement'  Wilson Center (3 September 2024)

Luz OROZCO Y VILLA, 'The Dangerous Path of Mexico’s Judicial Reform: What is at Stake for Judicial Independence in the Americas' Oxford Human Rights Hub (9 August 2024)

Emiliano POLO ANAYA, ‘Mexico's Judicial Reform Is Not About the Judiciary’ (5 August 2024)

Mariana VELASCO RIVERA, ‘A Democratic Mandate to Overhaul Mexico’s Judiciary?’ Verfassungsblog (24 July 2024)

Julio RIOS-FIGUEROA, ‘Mexico 2024: The Battle for the Constitution’ ConstitutionNet (24 February 2024)

Mariana VELASCO RIVERA, ‘Can the Mexican Supreme Court Save Constitutional Democracy?’ Verfassungsblog (12 May 2023)

Mariana VELASCO RIVERA, ‘Mexican Democracy (and the Supreme Court) at a Crossroads’ Verfassungsblog (5 March 2023)

POLICY ANALYSIS

Impact of Judicial Reform on Mexico’s Business Climate, Emant (4 September 2024)

Ryan C. BERG, ‘AMLO’s Plan C and the North American Bloc, If We Can Keep It’ Center for Strategic & International Studies (3 September 2024)

Gerardo PENCHYNA CARDENAS, ‘Tipping the Scales: The Decline of Mexico’s Opposition and the Unclear Future of Its Democracy’ Wilson Center (12 July 2024)

Ryan C. BERG & Leonardo MORAVEG, ‘An Uncertain Future: Democratic Backsliding through Executive Aggrandizement under AMLO’ Center for Strategic & International Studies (31 May 2024)

A Threat to Judicial Independence: Constitutional Reform Proposals in Mexico Inter-American Dialogue, the Stanford Law School Rule of Law Impact Lab and the Mexican Bar Association (May 2024)

Vanessa RUBIO-MÁRQUEZ, ‘The stark choice of Mexico’s elections: democracy or autocracy?’ Chatham House (1 December 2023)

MEDIA ANALYSIS

REUTERS, ‘Mexico's sweeping judicial overhaul formally takes effect’ (16 September 2024) 

AL JAZEERA, ‘AMLO calls for swift enactment of Mexico judicial overhaul after state nods’ (12 September 2024) 

Emiliano RODRÍGUEZ MEGA &  James WAGNER, ‘Reform or the End of Justice? Mexico Is Split on Plan to Elect Judges’ The New York Times ( 12 September 2024) 

Daniel R. DePETRIS, ‘Mexican senate gives final approval to sweeping changes to judiciary’ Newsweek (11 September 2024) 

Simon ROMERO and Emiliano RODRÍGUEZ MEGA ‘Why Nearly All Judges in Mexico Could Soon Be Chosen by Voters’ The New York Times (11 September 2024) 

Emiliano RODRÍGUEZ MEGA, ‘Mexico’s Judicial Overhaul Overcomes Its Biggest Obstacle: The Senate’ The New York Times (11 September 2024) 

Eduardo PORTER, ‘Opinion: Can Mexico’s democracy survive López Obrador’s judicial reforms?’ The Washington Post (10 September 2024) 

María VERAZA, ‘What’s at stake in Mexico’s judicial system under sweeping overhaul pushed by the president’ Associated Press (6 September 2024)

David SHORTELL, 'Judges may soon have to run for election in Mexico. Critics say that’s bad news for its democracy' CNN (5 September 2024)

Mary Beth SHERIDAN, ‘Why everyone is suddenly worried about Mexico’s democracy’ Washington Post (4 September 2024)

Eyder PERALTA & Greg DIXON, ‘A Constitutional Showdown in Mexico’ NPR (4 September 2024)

Amrit SINGH & Adriana GARCIA, 'Electing Judges in Mexico? It’s a Bad Idea', New York Times (4 September 2024)

THE ECONOMIST, ‘AMLO’s dangerous last blast threatens Mexico’ (29 August 2024)

Joseph STEPANSKY, ‘Why are Mexico’s judges striking over AMLO’s proposed judicial reforms?’ Al Jazeera (22 August 2024)

Enrique KRAUZE, ‘The Suffocation of Mexico’s Democracy’ (10 June 2024) 

EVENTS

Reformas Constitucionales Inconstitucionales, Upstanders (15 September 2024) 

Mexico's judicial reform: national context, hemispheric contrast, Canadian Council for the Americas (6 September 2024)

Mexico's judicial reform: national context, hemispheric contrast, Canadian Council for the Americas (6 September 2024) 

MILITARIZATION OF PUBLIC LIFE

Mexico has heavily relied on the military to perform public safety duties since 2007 (and more recently for a vast amount of areas not related to safety such as infrastructure projects and tourism development). There is abundant evidence showing that such a policy has translated into increased violence and serious violations of human rights. According to national and international human rights protection standards, the use of the military in public security duties should be exceptional, limited, and subordinated to civilian authority. However, at President López Obrador’s initiative, and President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s acquiescence, a constitutional amendment that will upend the constitutional structure that is supposed to guarantee the limited participation of the military forces in Mexico’s public life is being rammed through Congress.

ACADEMIC ANALYSIS

Articles & Papers

Will FREEMAN, ‘Can Mexico’s Next President Control the Military?’ [2024] Journal of Democracy (Online) (March 2024)

Blog Posts

Daniel TORRES CHECA, Mexico: Public Security Under Military Control (16 September 2024) 

Sergio LÓPEZ AYLLÓN, The National Guard Reform: Enshrining Militarization in the Constitution, Wilson Center (5 September 2024)

Gema KLOPPE-SANTAMARÍA, Deepening the Militarization of Security will Negatively Impact Citizens’ Security and Wellbeing, Wilson Center (5 September 2024) 

POLICY ANALYSIS

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP, ‘The Generals’ Labyrinth: Crime and the Military in Mexico’ (24 May 2024)

Ryan C. BERG and Emiliano POLO, The Political Implications of Mexico’s New Militarism, Center for Strategic & International Studies (5 September 2023)

MÉXICO UNIDO CONTRA LA DELINCUENCIA, ‘The militarization of life and public security a threat to democratic stability and peace in Mexico:  Militarization a risk for democracy’ (July 2023) 

Alejandro RAVELO, Cristina REYES, Fernanda REBOLLAR, FridaI BARRA, Gerardo ÁLVAREZ, Leilani HERNÁNDEZ & María VEGA, ‘The debate on militarization on the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation’ México Unido Contra la Delincuencia (April 2023)

Frida IBARRA & Fernanda REBOLLAR, ‘The Supreme Court on the National Guard: The merits and shortcomings of their decision’ México Unido Contra la Delincuencia (May 2023)