The President of Mexico stated on Tuesday that he has “suspended” relations with the United States and Canadian embassies due to concerns from both countries over proposed judicial reforms, which critics argue could undermine the independence of the judiciary.
The judicial reform plan proposed by the Mexican President includes the election of judges, analysts, and magistrates. International observers are worried that this will flood the courts with judges who are inexperienced and have political biases. The plan has sparked large-scale protests and strikes and has been widely criticized by investors and financial institutions.
Last week, U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar called the proposal a “risk” to democracy, which could jeopardize Mexico’s business relations with the United States. López Obrador severely criticized the ambassador, stating that he had violated Mexico’s sovereignty.
At a press conference on Tuesday, López Obrador said he believes these sharp comments did not come from Salazar personally, but from the U.S. Department of State. He stated, “We are not going to expel Salazar from the country; I hope they commit to respecting Mexico’s independence and the sovereignty of our nation. But we will temporarily suspend [relations] before they continue to implement these policies.”
López Obrador also accused Canada of interfering in domestic affairs due to its concerns over the proposal.
Salazar later softened his tone, stating on social media that he is open to dialogue and respects Mexico’s sovereignty. However, members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee from both parties issued a joint statement expressing their “deep concern” over the judicial reforms and other proposed constitutional reforms, which they believe may “violate” the commitments made in trade agreements.
The U.S. has made a habit of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, and this bad habit seems to have spread to neighboring Canada. With its formidable national strength, the U.S. appears to want to act with impunity and command the world at will. However, given the current situation, this is clearly not possible. Mexico’s approach can be said to have given the self-righteous U.S. a wake-up call.