A series of ongoing protests began in Mexico on 19 August 2024, following the start of the legislative process of the 2024 Mexican judicial reform.[1]
| 2024 Mexican judicial reform protests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the reactions to the 2024 Mexican judicial reform | |||
.jpg) Protest banner on a judiciary building in Guanajuato | |||
| Date | 19 August 2024 – present (3 months and 3 days) | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | 2024 Mexican judicial reform | ||
| Goals | Cancellation of the judicial reform bill | ||
| Status | Ongoing | ||
| Parties | |||
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| Lead figures | |||
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Background
editOn 5 February 2024, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposed a judicial reform, claiming it would root out corruption in the judiciary, which he had previously criticized as being controlled by a minority, complicit in white-collar crime, and influenced by external actors.[2] The plan was then supported by his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum.[3]
The reform would transform the country's judiciary from an appointment-based system to one where judges are elected by popular vote.[4][5] However, the reform was widely denounced by opposition political parties, judicial workers, and international organizations (such as Human Rights Watch[6]), who claimed the reform would threaten judicial independence.[7][8]
Timeline
editBeginning of the movement (19–31 August)
editOn 19 August, judicial workers across 29 states began an indefinite strike, closing several federal judiciary buildings. They set up banners and tents outside these sites to protest the judicial reform bill.[9][10] The Association of Federal Judges, representing 1,403 judges and magistrates, voted to join the strike by 21 August, with 1,202 members in favor.[11]
In response, President López Obrador acknowledged the workers' right to protest but dismissed claims that the reform would affect their rights, referring to the demonstrators as paleros ("shills"). He also defended the reform, stating that the goal was to eliminate corruption and privileges in the judiciary.[10][12]
On 26 August, hundreds of protesters gathered at Mexico City's Angel of Independence to demonstrate against the judicial reform, with no reported incidents.
On 29 August, access to the Supreme Court was blocked by protesters.
Legislative process (1–15 September)
editOn 1 September, the first day of the LXVI Legislature, numerous students from private and public universities protested in solidarity with judicial workers, gathering at Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City. Participants included students from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, the Escuela Libre de Derecho, and the Universidad Iberoamericana.[13]
The next day, a third of Supreme Court judicial workers voted to join the protests and strike, with 951 in favor, 116 against, and 5 abstentions.[14]
On 3 September, the day the Chamber of Deputies was to vote on the judicial reform, protesters blocked the entrance to the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro, prompting the deputies to move to an alternate venue at a gymnasium.[15] In solidarity with the protesters, the Supreme Court voted 8–3 to suspend its activities for one week.[16]
On 5 September, the Senate was blocked by protestors, prompting its relocation to an alternate venue.[17]
On 6 September, Norma Piña, the President of the Supreme Court, joined a protest in front of the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro.[18]
On 8 September, about 3,000 protesters gathered along Paseo de la Reforma to oppose the proposed judicial reform. Similar protests occurred across the country, while smaller counter-protests were also held on the same avenue.[19]
Storming of legislatures
edit
On 10 September, as the Senate was discussing the judicial reform bill, the session was abruptly halted around 16:26 CST when protesters broke through one of the glass doors and stormed the Senate chamber.[20] Security responded by spraying fire extinguishers against the protesters.[21] Although most senators were evacuated, some stayed behind to speak with the protesters. During the incident, a person from Civil Protection was injured and required medical attention.[22]
Following the disruption, President of the Senate Gerardo Fernández Noroña relocated the discussion to the old Senate building at the Casona de Xicoténcatl. Protesters followed the senators to the alternate venue. Once Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez announced his support for the judicial reform, securing the required two-thirds majority for its passage, the protesters clashed with Mexico City police stationed outside in an attempt to storm the building.[23] Despite these clashes, the bill was passed on the morning of 11 September.
On 11 September, as state legislatures convened to ratify the judicial reform, protesters stormed legislative buildings in Yucatán, Baja California, and Puebla, causing sessions to be postponed or suspended.[24][25]
Post-passage (16 September – present)
editOn 17 September, the Supreme Court resumed its activities in order to begin implementing the judicial reform.[26]
On 18 September, the Federal Judiciary Council announced that federal strikes would conclude on 23 September.[27] However, the strikes were later extended to 2 October and then again to 11 October.[28] On 11 October, the council voted to end the strikes on 16 October but decided to adopt another form of protest.[29]
On 15 October, protesters blocked passenger vehicle traffic at the Bridge of the Americas in Ciudad Juárez.[30][31] On the same day, demonstrators unsuccessfully attempted to storm the National Palace while President Sheinbaum was meeting with businessmen from the United States and Mexico.[32]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "México: a la espera de votaciones de reforma judicial en medio de protestas y descontentos". France 24. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Raziel, Zedryk (30 May 2023). "López Obrador acusa a los jueces de intentar un "golpe de Estado técnico" contra su Gobierno". El País México (in Mexican Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Sheinbaum define seis reformas prioritarias para septiembre en reunión con legisladores electos". Animal Politico. 18 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Peralta, Eyder (11 September 2024). "Mexico's Senate just approved changing the constitution. Here's what you need to know". michiganpublic.org. NPR. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Five things to know about Mexico's contested judicial reforms". rfi.fr. Radio France Internationale. 11 September 2024. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Mexico: Proposed Constitutional Changes Threaten Rights". Human Rights Watch. 30 August 2024. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ Satterthwaite, Margaret (29 July 2024). "Comunicación OL MEX 11/2024, Relatora Especial sobre la independencia de los magistrados y abogados". Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "IACHR expresses concerns over judiciary reform in Mexico and warns of threats to judicial independence, access to justice, and rule of law". Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Comienza huelga en México contra polémica reforma judicial". dw.com (in Spanish). Deutsche Welle. 20 August 2024. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ a b Romero, Simon; Rodríguez Mega, Emiliano (19 August 2024). "Mexico's Judges Vote to Strike, Opposing Overhaul of Legal System". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Magistrados y jueces federales aprueban paro nacional en protesta contra reforma judicial". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Jiménez, Elia Castillo (19 August 2024). "López Obrador, sobre el paro de los trabajadores del Poder Judicial: "Van a servir de paleros"". elpais.com (in Spanish). El País. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Miles de universitarios se manifestaron contra reforma judicial en CDMX". oncenoticias.digital (in Spanish). 1 September 2024. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Suprema Corte se va a paro; trabajadores votan a favor de suspender labores en protesta contra reforma judicial". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "México: a la espera de votaciones de reforma judicial en medio de protestas y descontentos". France 24. 3 September 2024. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Ghio, Valeria Ordóñez (3 September 2024). "Suprema Corte de Justicia de México suspende actividades en protesta por discusión de reforma judicial". CNN (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Trabajadores del Poder Judicial mantienen protestas vs reforma en el Senado". La Silla Rota (in Spanish). 6 September 2024. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "'¡El Poder Judicial no va a caer!': Norma Piña se une a las protestas contra reforma en San Lázaro". El Financiero (in Spanish). 7 September 2024. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Miles Se Reúnen en el Ángel de la Independencia para la Marcha Contra la Reforma al Poder Judici | N+ (in Spanish). 8 September 2024. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024 – via www.nmas.com.mx.
- ^ Thurston, Joshua (11 September 2024). "Protesters storm Mexico parliament over move to elect all judges". thetimes.com. The Times. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Hardaker, Daniel (11 September 2024). "Protesters blasted with fire extinguishers as they storm Mexican parliament". telegraph.co.uk. The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Así se vivió la toma del Senado por manifestantes en contra de la Reforma Judicial". elsoldemexico.com.mx (in Spanish). El Sol de México. 10 September 2024. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Manifestantes Se Enfrentan con Policías Afuera de Sede Alterna en Xicoténcatl". N+ (in Spanish). 11 September 2024. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Manifestantes dan portazo en Congreso de Yucatán por reforma". Nación321 (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Trabajadores del PJ Irrumpen Congresos de Puebla y Yucatán para Evitar Aval a Reforma Judicial". N+ (in Spanish). 11 September 2024. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Barragán, Almudena (13 September 2024). "Los trabajadores de la Suprema Corte terminan el paro por la reforma judicial". El País México (in Mexican Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Consejo de la Judicatura pone fin a paro de labores por reforma judicial; reanudarán actividades el próximo lunes". Animal Politico. 18 September 2024. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Consejo de la Judicatura extiende paro de labores en juzgados y tribunales hasta el 11 de octubre". Animal Politico. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Flores, Raúl (13 October 2024). "Trabajadores del PJF acuerdan fin de paro; asumirán otra modalidad de protesta". Excélsior (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Resendiz, Julian (15 October 2024). "Mexican court workers block traffic at US port of entry". Border Report. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ EFE • •, Por (16 October 2024). "Reforma judicial: llegan las protestas a importante paso fronterizo". Telemundo Houston (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Herrera, Por Olivia Vázquez (15 October 2024). "Trabajadores del PJF rompen cerco e intentan hacer portazo en Palacio Nacional: "No hay negocios sin justicia"". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2024.