International

The reform of the Judiciary in Mexico is declared constitutional and awaits officialization

The Congress of Mexico declared constitutional the reform of the Judiciary proposed by the Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which promotes the election of judges by popular vote, and only remains its publication in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) for its entry into force.

The declaration of constitutionality was first announced in the Mexican Senate and then in the Chamber of Deputies, in both cases in a few minutes, with the approval of the official ‘supermajorities’ in both chambers and the support of 23 local legislatures from 32 states.

Promulgation of the reform

“In order to comply with Article 135 of the Constitution (…) and once the 23 approval votes of the legislatures of the states have been counted, the Chamber of Senators declares approved the decree by which various provisions of the Mexican Constitution are reformed, added and repeals regarding the Judiciary,” he declared before the president of the Board of Directors of the Senate, Gerardo Fernández Noroña.

In the same sense, the president of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies, Sergio Gutiérrez Luna, expressed himself.

Both acts were not attended by the opposition, after the refusal to reform, which they have qualified as a setback for democracy and judicial independence, as well as for the balance of power and the possible intrusion of “interest groups.”

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This was announced by the parliamentary coordinators in both Houses of Congress of the opponents National Action (PAN), Institutional Revolutionary (PRI) and Citizen Movement (MC) who expressed that the action of constitutionality “is an exclusive party” of the ruling party, as well as the “consummated robbery of the nation.”

The action is parallel to the attempts by workers of the Judiciary of the Federation (PJF) and at least 1,200 judges in the country to stop this reform by resorting to national and international bodies.

Multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR); business organizations such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC); rating agencies such as Fitch and Moody’s, as well as the US government have warned repercussions for Mexico for this reform, including panels and arbitrations within the framework of trade treaties such as the T-MEC.

Judicial remedies

On the date, a Mexican judge from the state of Colima ordered a suspension to stop the promulgation of the aforementioned reform in the DOF, despite the fact that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the main promoter of the reform, announced that it would be made official next Sunday, September 15, when Independence Day is commemorated in the country.

Later, Senator Ernestina Godoy, future legal advisor in the Government of Claudia Sheinbaum, pointed out that such protection is inappropriate to prevent the reform from being published in the DOF.

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“They forget that there are no challenges against constitutional reform,” Godoy said.

So far, the judicial reform has more than 17 votes for local legislatures required by the Mexican Constitution to declare itself constitutional and be referred to the head of the Executive, López Obrador, for its officialization and entry into force.

The states that have already said yes

The legislatures that have already given their endorsement are those of the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Colima, Durango, Guerrero, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatan, Zacatecas and the capital Mexico City.

Meanwhile, it was rejected in the local congresses of Jalisco and Querétaro.

Once the declaration of constitutionality has been made by the Chamber of Deputies, President López Obrador will be processed for its official publication and subsequent entry into force.

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International

Hiroshima survivor who embraced Obama dies at 88

The emotional embrace between Barack Obama and Hiroshima survivor Mori—who was eight years old when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945—resonated around the world.

According to Asahi Shimbun and other local media, Mori died on Saturday at a hospital in Hiroshima.

Mori, known for his research on the fate of American prisoners of war in Hiroshima, was thrown into a river by the force of the explosion on August 6, 1945, during the atomic bombing of the city.

In a past interview with AFP, ahead of his meeting with Obama at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 2016, Mori recalled the chaos and desperation that followed the blast.

He described how, after emerging from the water, he encountered injured civilians seeking help amid the devastation, an experience that stayed with him throughout his life.

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In 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he paid tribute to the victims of the first atomic bomb used in warfare. During the visit, Mori was visibly moved as he met the president, sharing a brief but powerful moment that symbolized remembrance and reconciliation.

The bombing of Hiroshima resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people, including those who succumbed to radiation exposure in the aftermath.

Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people and contributing to the end of World War II.

International

Colombia seeks ‘total suffocation’ of armed groups with regional support

Colombia is advancing a strategy aimed at the “total suffocation” of illegal armed groups, seeking to corner them in border regions with the support of Ecuador and Venezuela, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview with AFP.

According to the minister, coordinated pressure from neighboring countries—backed by United States—aims to dismantle criminal networks that use cross-border routes to traffic Colombian cocaine toward North America and Europe.

For decades, armed groups involved in Colombia’s internal conflict have relied on border territories as strategic rear bases to evade military operations and maintain logistical support.

However, Sánchez said that dynamic is beginning to change.

“We expect a total suffocation between both nations so they have no spaces where they can live or feel safe […] to close off any room they might have,” he stated during the interview in Bogotá, less than five months before the end of President Gustavo Petro’s term.

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Regional developments have reinforced this strategy. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation, Washington has increased its influence in Caracas, where interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has implemented a renewed anti-narcotics policy.

Meanwhile, in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa—a key U.S. ally in the region—has launched a two-week security plan under strict curfews to combat criminal gangs, with U.S. support.

Sánchez argued that these combined efforts leave illegal organizations with fewer escape routes and operational spaces, effectively placing them in a “dead end.”

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.