Mexico’s judges launch nationwide strike over president's push for judicial reform

MEXICO CITY

Mexico’s judges and magistrates began an indefinite strike Wednesday against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's proposed reform of the judiciary.

The initiative presented by the president, also known as AMLO, in February this year has sparked criticism and concern among citizens, politicians and judiciary members who see the bill as an attempt to take over the judiciary by the ruling Morena party.

All federal courts and tribunals have been closed indefinitely except for "urgent" cases.

The proposal seeks to have judges and magistrates elected by popular vote, with candidates being presented by the president, Congress (currently controlled by Morena) and the judiciary.

AMLO has pledged the reform as an effort to "clean up" the judiciary, which he thinks has been corrupted and placed at the mercy of the most powerful people in the country. But many believe that the reform will end the distribution of powers and remove the last counterbalance to the president and his party's overwhelming authority.

On Tuesday, a few minutes before midnight, Judge Juana Fuentes Velazquez, the director of the National Association of Circuit Magistrates and District Judges of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (JUFED), announced the beginning of the strike on Wednesday, which she called a "legitimate act of resistance against this reform."

"This reform not only threatens justice. It threatens the very stability of our nation," said Judge Velazquez to the press.

On Aug. 19, around 1,403 judges from JUFED gathered to vote and decide whether to launch the strike, with 1,202 voting “yes” to suspend activities and 201 voting “no.”

The judges joined the strike supported by more than 55,000 judicial branch workers.

"We are heading towards an unprecedented constitutional crisis, a crisis that if not stopped will leave deep scars in our social fabric. For these reasons, we have decided together with hundreds of committed judges to suspend jurisdictional work indefinitely throughout the country as of Aug. 21," said Velazquez.

The strike will be implemented until the reform has been annulled and Congress opens a dialogue with the judiciary to seek joint reform.