Judicial Reform moves forward: key bills sent to Congress and election of judges being organized
Ernestina Godoy, legal advisor to the Presidency, announced that three draft secondary laws that complement the Judicial Reform will be sent to Congress today:
– The Judicial Branch Organic Law, which reorganizes the work of the Supreme Court and defines the new powers of the Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal.
– The Judicial Career Law.
– The Law on Administrative Responsibilities, which provides certainty regarding misconduct and sanctions within the judicial branch.
Arturo Zaldívar, General Coordinator of Politics and Government, emphasized that Sunday, November 24 is the last day of registration for the election of the new judges. He explained that 5,410 candidate proposals are needed for judges, justices, and magistrates in the judicial electoral process. This number will be reduced to 1,793 through a draw, in which the selected candidates will appear on the ballot.
Green proposals and strengthening of the USMCA highlighted in Mexico’s G20 participation
The Presidency indicated that its proposal to allocate 1% of military spending to support six million planters in reforestation projects was well received.
Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned that during her meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the importance of the USMCA was discussed. In addition, the creation of a document detailing the benefits of the treaty for the signatory countries was raised.
The President indicated that in her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping they discussed trade relations and she thanked China for its support in the wake of Hurricane Otis.
Decentralized body within the Ministry of Economy
Sheinbaum explained that the creation of a decentralized body within the Ministry of Economy is being proposed, whose main function will be to promote competition and prevent monopolies.
Budget 2024: More well-being and economic responsibility
The government is ensuring the continuity of well-being programs with close to 700 billion pesos (US$62.15 billion) allocated, in addition to increases in budgetary outlays in education, housing, and health-care.
550 billion pesos (US$48.84 billion) were allocated for infrastructure projects, while the public debt in relation to GDP remains stable.
There will be no salary increases for high-level officials, and economic growth is projected at 2.3%, with an overall deficit of 3.9%. The administration describes this budget as responsible, despite criticism from opponents.
Mexico at the G20: Diplomacy, peace and international cooperation
At the G20, Mexico reiterated a call for peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and proposed humanist measures on the environment and migration, which will be presented to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in due course.
In bilateral meetings, Sheinbaum highlighted the benefits of the USMCA with Biden and Trudeau, who reaffirmed his support for Mexico remaining in the treaty.
With Xi Jinping, they discussed strengthening the trade relationship despite Mexico’s agreements with the United States. The Mexican president also thanked China for its support during the pandemic. Mexico asked Biden for the full report on the capture of drug cartel kingpin “El Mayo” Zambada.
Reorganization of autonomous bodies: integration and efficiency
The President explained the reorganization of autonomous government bodies:
– The Energy Regulatory Commission will be integrated into the Ministry of Energy.
– The Federal Commission on Competition (COFECE) and the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) will merge into a decentralized antitrust body, complying with the USMCA and respecting the country’s sovereignty.
– The National Institute for Access to Information (INAI) will be eliminated and its functions will be transferred to the Ministry of Anticorruption and Good Governance.
The idea is to decentralize, guarantee transparency, and optimize the use of the budget adjusted by the Chamber of Deputies.
Sheinbaum criticizes Jalisco’s proposal on fiscal pact
The President questioned Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro’s proposal for the state to leave the fiscal pact, pointing out that this idea is not new and lacks equity. “We can’t accept this idea that whoever pays more gets more. Where is the support for the poorest states in the country? Shared prosperity has to do with that,” she explained.
Sheinbaum also stressed that it is up to the next governor, Pablo Lemus, to define his position. She plans to meet with Lemus soon to address the issue.
Lie detector
– It is false that opponents and activists will be imprisoned with the reforms to pre-trial detention.
– It is not true that the Mexican Government will take 2% of workers’ income to create the Legislative Fund.
– It is not true that the U.S. Government cancelled a loan to Pemex for alleged donations of oil to Cuba.
– It is false that ISSSTE canceled urgent surgeries and rescheduled appointments for 2025.
– The video of a shooting at the Regional General Hospital No. 1 in Cuernavaca is fake.