International
The Supreme Court of Mexico opens a debate to review the controversial reform of the Judiciary
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) of Mexico opened a controversy this Thursday to decide whether it has the power to review the constitutional reform to the Judiciary of the Federation (PJF), which seeks to elect judges and magistrates by popular vote.
The decision, which was given after a majority vote of eight votes to three, admitted one of the challenges of judges and magistrates against the aforementioned reform, to analyze whether the high court can review the constitutional amendment.
The controversial judicial reform, promoted by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024) and promulgated on September 15, has raised criticism from various international organizations that claim that the rule of law in the country is at risk.
The Plenary of the SCJN agreed to open a dispute of those provided for in the Organic Law of the PJF, originally created to resolve conflicts within said Power.
“For this Plenary, there is no doubt that fraction XVII of article 11 is the ideal way to process a petition such as the one that motivated this consultation, that is, one in which justice makers ask this Court to verify whether the reform of the Constitutional text published on September 15, 2024, is compatible or not with judicial guarantees and principles, including the division of powers, judicial independence, as well as those inherent to the Constitutional Rule of Law,” the judgment points out.
The aforementioned amendment will cause more than 1,600 judicial positions to be elected by popular vote, in elections, a system that leaves the members of the PJF in a situation of uncertainty.
Can the reform of the Judiciary in Mexico be reviewed?
Prime Minister Piña Hernández, rapporteur Juan Luis González Alcántara, Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo, Margarita Ríos Farjat, Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena, Luis María Aguilar Morales and Javier Laynez Potisek voted in favor of the project.
While ministers Lenia Batres, Yasmin Esquivel and Loretta Ortiz, related to former President López Obrador, voted against.
Batres defended that the Supreme Court “does not have the power to submit to review changes to the Constitution approved by the Legislative Branch because it would violate the principle of constitutional supremacy, as well as the division of powers and the Constitutional Rule of Law.”
The minister also said that the SCJN “is attempting a coup d’état,” it seeks to act in a tyrannical and despotic way since it intends to give itself the power to revise the Mexican Constitution.
Sheinbaum supports the reform
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, defended last Tuesday, during her inauguration, the reform of the Judiciary and pointed out that it is not “authoritarianism” but, in essence, it is democratic.
“How is a decision going to be authoritarian that, in essence, is democratic and allows the people to decide?” the president said during her speech in the Mexican Congress.
He said that the objective is to end corruption in the Judiciary and for this, he recalled, there will be a single call in addition to a selection committee of candidates to ensure that they meet the requirements.
“And who will decide? It will be the people,” he emphasized.
He also took the opportunity to tell the workers of the Judiciary that their rights and salaries “are fully safeguarded.”
International
Senate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
The U.S. Senate took a significant step on Thursday toward limiting President Donald Trump’s military authority in Venezuela, advancing a bipartisan war powers resolution that would block further military actions without explicit congressional approval, lawmakers said.
In a 52-47 procedural vote, the measure moved forward after five Republican senators joined all Democrats in supporting the effort. The resolution aims to require presidential authorization from Congress before the United States can engage in any new hostilities against Venezuela, a rare rebuke of Trump from both sides of the aisle following the controversial military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
If ultimately passed, the legislation would obligate the administration to withdraw U.S. forces from any imminent hostilities in or against Venezuela unless Congress explicitly authorizes such actions. However, the measure’s future remains uncertain as it heads next to the House of Representatives, where a Republican majority is less likely to approve it, and any final version would likely face a presidential veto. Overriding a veto would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers, a high threshold in the current political landscape.
President Trump has sharply criticized Republican senators who broke ranks to support the resolution, saying they should not be re-elected and arguing that the measure undermines his authority to act in national defense. Nevertheless, the vote signals growing bipartisan concern in Congress about unchecked executive military action in the absence of legislative authorization.
International
Petro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed on “joint actions” to combat the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group operating along the Colombia–Venezuela border, Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said on Thursday.
The announcement came after a period of heightened diplomatic tension triggered by recent U.S. airstrikes in Venezuela, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and threats of possible U.S. military action in Colombia. The phone call Wednesday evening was the first direct conversation between Petro and Trump since both leaders took office, and it helped ease the strained relationship.
During the call, both presidents committed to carry out joint efforts against the ELN, a guerrilla group that has repeatedly attacked Colombian security forces and is accused of kidnapping soldiers. In December, the ELN declared a “armed strike,” confining civilians in areas under its control in response to perceived threats of U.S. intervention.
According to Benedetti, Petro welcomed Trump’s invitation to meet in Washington and asked for U.S. support to “strike hard” against ELN positions along the porous border with Venezuela, where guerrillas often flee after clashes with Colombian forces.
The border region is a longstanding flashpoint, where armed groups, drug traffickers and illegal mining networks compete for control. Previous attempts by Petro’s government to negotiate peace with the ELN have stalled after a major offensive in Catatumbo that left hundreds dead and displaced thousands.
International
Lula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed on Thursday a bill that would have significantly reduced the prison sentence of his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving time for attempting a coup d’état.
Despite the veto, the conservative-majority Congress retains the power to override the decision through a vote.
In September, following a landmark trial, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison after finding him guilty of conspiring to remain in power in an “authoritarian” manner following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 presidential election.
The 70-year-old former president has been incarcerated in a Brasília prison since late November. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court rejected a request for house arrest on health grounds.
Under the current legal framework, Bolsonaro would be required to serve approximately eight years before becoming eligible for sentence leniency. However, a bill passed by Congress in December could have reduced that period to just over two years, prompting Lula’s veto.
Senate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
Petro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
Lula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
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