Mexico's opposition seeks to block judicial reform in the Senate

7/9/2024 12:06

        Mexico's opposition senators are uniting around the possibility of blocking controversial judicial reforms pushed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which will go to a vote next week, suggesting its passage might not be as easy as first thought.
        
        The ruling party Morena and its allies are currently one vote short of the two-thirds majority in the Senate needed to pass the reform, which would overhaul Mexico's judiciary by electing judges through popular vote.
        
        Most analysts still expect the ruling bloc to find that Senate vote, or for absentees to mean it is not needed, but the opposition - despite being weakened by infighting and a drop in public support - is resisting.
        
        On Friday, president of the opposition PRI party Alejandro Moreno said all 15 senators from his party would vote against the reform in a radio interview with Grupo Formula.
        
        That followed a video posted on Thursday on X by Daniel Barreda, senator for the Citizens' Movement (MC) in which he said he had decided to vote against the reform, flanked by the other four senators of the party.