Mexican Supreme Court seeks to block judicial reform
Oct. 29, 2024
A Mexican Supreme Court judge published a proposal yesterday that would invalidate core parts of a judicial overhaul passed by the ruling Morena party last month. The proposal by Supreme Court justice Juan Luis González would render the popular election of district judges and magistrates unconstitutional. It would however maintain the part of the reform that elects Supreme Court judges by popular vote
To be approved, the proposal requires the support of at least eight of the court's 11 justices, reports Reuters. It is not clear whether the proposal will muster up that level of support, even though most of the court is against the judicial reform, reports El País.
The judicial reform was former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s legacy, and passed thanks to the Morena party’s overwhelming majority in both chambers of Congress.
“The move brings Mexico closer to a constitutional crisis, with the judiciary and the ruling bloc increasingly at loggerheads over the constitutional reform,” reports Reuters.
Last week, the ruling coalition voted to change the constitution to stop the courts from reviewing legislation passed by Congress, reports the Financial Times. Legal analysts said the move would give the legislature supremacy over the judiciary.
More Mexico
At least seven Supreme Court judges will retire, and decline to participate in next year’s electoral process — a move that guarantees their pension. (Animal Político)
U.S. authorities say the Treviño Morales brothers continue to control parts of the Zetas cartel in Mexico, despite having been in jail for a decade “raising questions as to why the infamous criminal leaders have yet to be extradited,” reports InSight Crime.
A group of Roman Catholic bishops in Mexico’s Guerrero state called for civilian and military authorities to take steps to protect residents of the region, which has been impacted by severe violence. (Associated Press)
Venezuela
A Venezuelan opposition politician, Edwin Santos, was found dead last week, his Voluntad Popular party blamed the government and said he "was murdered after being abducted by members of the state security forces.” (Al Jazeera, AFP, WOLA)
Brazil
The big winner in Brazil’s municipal elections was the center-right, argues Juan Arias in El País. (See yesterday’s briefs.)
El Salvador
More than 2,500 security agents laid siege to a populous neighborhood outside El Salvador’s capital, in an effort to quash the remnants of gangs President Nayib Bukele said were moving into the area. (Associated Press)
Regional Relations
Last week’s BRICS summit in Kazan showed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro more alone than ever, but it also demonstrated that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s “ability to influence friendly countries is no longer what it once was,” according to El País. “These are times of global polarization and increasingly complex conflicts.”
Lula vetoed Venezuela’s entrance to BRICS, as well as Nicaraguas — Confidencial. (See Friday’s briefs.)
Maduro called on Lula to explain the veto against Venezuela’s BRICS membership, yesterday. (Associated Press)
“BRICS+ is a signaling device for countries that feel excluded from the current international order. The group’s overall orientation towards the Global South and fervent appeals to consider a non-Western alternative for global governance hold sizeable appeal in many circles,” according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Latin American dictatorships see an opportunity.
Brazil is seeking synergies with China, but shouldn’t join the Belt and Road Initiative, according to presidential advisor Celso Amorim. (Brazil 247)
Brazilian government officials and business leaders, gathered last week in São Paulo for the B20 summit, concurred on the need to push for world trade reforms ahead of the G20 summit, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro next month, reports MercoPress.
Argentine foreign minister Diana Mondino has said the “conditions are in place” to restart flights to the Falkland Islands — part of President Javier Milei’s controversial, more conciliatory approach with the UK over the disputed territory, reports the Financial Times.
Mexico’s crackdown on migration — including a growing program to bus and fly non-Mexican migrants to the country’s south, far from the U.S. border, along with widespread detentions and administrative obstacles — helps the U.S. Democrats in the upcoming presidential election, reports Reuters.
Whoever wins the upcoming elections, the next U.S. president should pay more attention to the region, Susan Segal told El País.
James Bosworth analyzes the post-U.S. election scenarios for various Latin American countries — and made a map! (Latin America Risk Report)
Regional
Chemical deforestation is one of the newest criminal threats to South America’s forests, reports the New York Times. Brazilian officials said that they believed ranchers were turning to chemicals in order to avoid detection via satellite-monitoring systems.
COP16 host Colombia launched the world’s first biodiversity bonds, reports El País.
Global efforts to protect the world’s plants and animals have made slight progress and some species remain in serious decline, according to two reports released yesterday at COP16. (Associated Press)
Norway pledged $30 million to help Colombia fight Amazon deforestation — Silla Vacía.
“The Amazon River naturally fluctuates during the dry and rainy seasons. But since last year a dramatic drop has been evident, most critical in Brazil. Now the phenomenon is spreading into other Amazon nations, wreaking havoc on local economies and food supplies,” reports the Associated Press.
Chile
Chile also held municipal and regional elections on Sunday — the traditional right-wing Chile Vamos coalition was the big winner, reports El País. The governing Contigo Chile Mejor coalition lost 39 communes, including Santiago, though it obtained an important victory in Maipú.
Chile’s Boric administration has been hard hit by a recent rape allegation against a senior official, reports the Financial Times. “Critics have accused Boric, a 38-year-old former student leader who took office in 2022 and pledged to lead a “feminist government”, of mishandling the case.”
Uruguay
Uruguay’s presidential runoff is tight, but the stakes are low, according to the Associated Press.
Peru
“With a 92 percent disapproval rating, Peru’s Dina Boluarte is testing the very limits of disdain,” reports The Intercept, in a piece on the “world’s least popular president.”
Paraguay
The Associated Press has a photoessay on prison overcrowding in Paraguay.
Critter Corner
A “toadlet” in Brazil is the second-smallest vertebrate known to exist on the planet — New York Times