MEXICO CITY (CN) — Judicial workers in Mexico continued to strike Tuesday over proposed changes to the court system, closing down federal court buildings within the capital and in at least 30 states since it began on Monday.
“The Federal Judicial Branch is the only institution in this country that serves as a counterweight against the excesses of the president of the republic and his party. We are not acting on a whim, we are respecting the independence, autonomy, the constitution and the laws. Corruption doesn’t exist here, it exists in other places,” said Patricia Aguayo, spokesperson for workers of the Federal Judicial Branch in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the San Lázaro Palace of Justice headquarters.
The judicial reforms, introduced on Feb. 5 as one part of 20 other constitutional reforms, would see judges and magistrates of the Federal Judicial Branch be chosen by popular vote as opposed to a system based on professional proficiency, which critics say could lead to corruption and favoritism and an end to a “career” as a judge. Mexico’s 32 state judiciaries would also be chosen through a popular vote system.
“We are here because we are in direct opposition against the judicial reforms. We are here because, sadly, this is what we have to do. We will be here peacefully with no aggression towards anyone and hopefully reach an understanding,” said René Hernández, a judicial worker, in front of the court building on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Federal Judicial Branch workers closed down the San Lázaro Palace of Justice headquarters building in Mexico City in the early morning hours of Monday to begin an “indefinite” strike in rejection of what they see as a power grab by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration.
According to López Obrador, the new judicial reforms would help reduce corruption and make choosing a judge more equitable and democratic.
Judicial candidates would be nominated by the three branches of government followed by an evaluation committee and then a lottery system to choose the candidate finally to be voted on by the people.
The country’s judges and magistrates will join judicial workers Wednesday after 1,202 out of 1,403 judges of the National Association of Circuit Magistrates and District Judges of the Judicial Power of the Federation voted Monday night to suspend activities and join the strike.
“This decision is of vital importance in the defense of the autonomy of the Federal Judicial Branch, pillar of our democratic system and for that reason today, workers and judges have decided to defend in unity, the republic, judicial independence and the division of powers guaranteed for future generations,” the association stated in a press release.
Aguayo applauded the judiciary’s decision.
“This vote shows that this fight, this movement, this rejection of the judicial reform is nearly unanimous, is the grand majority of those who work in the Federal Judicial Branch,” Aguayo said.
Mexico’s Supreme Court canceled a public session scheduled for Tuesday and will discuss the judicial reforms behind closed doors. It has yet to comment on the reforms.
Though López Obrador called the strike “illegal” in a morning press conference, he then added, “the right to disagree and the right to strike are guaranteed. We don’t have any problems.”
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum shared a similar statement in a Tuesday press conference about the national strike.
“We respect their protest, but we do not agree, it is very clear that all their labor rights will be respected,” she said.
Those who see flaws in this new reform argue that the majority party in power — which currently happens to be López Obrador and Sheinbaum’s Morena Party — can then shape the nominees for a vote and secure their own party’s judges to occupy the judiciary, seen as an even deeper form of impunity despite the so-called “popular vote.”
A report published by the academic institution Center for Constitutional Studies points out many flaws with the judicial reforms, including the lack of legitimacy in voting for a judge by popular vote and special panel, specifically in regards to public security and criminal interference and influence over public servants and judges.
The strike is expected to grow significantly with the addition of judges joining the ranks as well as other unions representing judicial workers and civil organizations.