Mexico ends presidential immunity amid controversy

TOLUCA, Mexico

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday enacted the decree ending political immunity from prosecution for presidents of the country.

In November, legislators at Senate voted in favor of the initiative, thus presidents could be charged and tried during their time in office for crimes such as corruption, electoral crimes, treason, and crimes for which every citizen could be prosecuted.

"It is a truly historical event. The acting President could not be tried for just any crime, only for treason... Now with this reform to the Constitution, presidents will be able to be judged for any crime just as any citizen," said Lopez Obrador at a press conference in November.

The decree will come into effect as of next Saturday. However, impunity in Mexican politics is far from over.

In recent, President Lopez Obrador has come under public scrutiny for his stance on Guerrero's candidate for governor, Felix Salgado Macedonio, who five women have accused of sexual assault.

This week, Obrador received intense criticism for speaking out against the media uproar that the case has caused, which he has accused of political slapping against the candidate. "Ya chole" or "enough," he said at a press conference.

In June, Mexico will go through an election process that will see fifteen states elect new governor, including Guerrero, where Salgado Macedonio is running for governor's office.

Obrador has stated that the media and political rivals are trying to tarnish the federal government's political party image amidst the crucial election process. He said the whole campaign is a political "lynching" against the disgraced candidate.

"And why now this campaign, from whom? Those of the opposition already have it as their banner: 'Not one vote for the other party'. There is a lot of politicking," said the president today at a press conference.