Mexico is a democracy in name, but government practices sometimes
undermine that title. Using what you've learned about liberal and
illiberal democracies, label the following characteristics of Mexico's
political system according to whether they are more or less democratic.
Constitutional Reform
In February 2024, President López Obrador put forth a series of 18
constitutional reforms that would impact the legislative and judicial
branches of government by eliminating autonomous regulatory and
constitutional bodies. The number of Supreme Court justices would be
reduced from 11 to 9, with shortened terms from 15 to 12 years, and
justices would be elected by popular vote.
Any action that limits the power of branches of government that check
and balance the president's power is defined as less democratic. Supreme
Court justices are intentionally insulated from political processes to
reduce potential conflicts of interest and partiality in their rulings.
Supreme Court Ruling
In September 2023, the Supreme Court decriminalized abortion at the
federal level, upholding women's constitutional right to choose and
people's ability to conceive. The ruling determined that attempts to
criminalize abortion qualified as gender-based discrimination and
violated women's right to personal determination, health, reproductive
autonomy, and equality.
Any action that protects and ensures people's civil liberties is defined
as more democratic, particularly when it comes to protecting the rights
of those who have experienced historical discrimination or oppression.
National Election Institute Sanctions President
In July 2023, the National Election Institute enacted sanctions
(commercial and financial penalties) against President López Obrador for
commercials his party released against his opponent that violated
neutrality and qualified as "gender-based violence." The President was
also accused of using publically funded broadcasts to advertise against
his opponent.
Any action that is carried out to enact established independent rules
for formal elections is defined as more democratic. The INE in this case
levied a justified and adequate penalty on the President for his
violations of electoral policy, proving they are an independent body
that is protecting the democratic process of the election.
Militarization of Airspace
In February 2023, the Mexican Airspace Protection Law was passed
permitting the Ministry of Defense to surveil and monitor the country's
airspace. A new federal monitoring and protection center, enacted in
place of a civil authority that managed the Mexican airspace, will have
the power to limit and restrict activity deemed a national security
threat.
Any action that expands the purview of the military, particularly one
that enables surveillance and monitoring, is defined as less democratic.
Despite proponents arguing that this law was necessary to enable the
military to monitor and regulate cartel activity in the air, opponents
argue that it unnecessarily shifts regulation from a civil to a military
body and is another example of President Obrador's expanding
militarization of public security.
Assassination Attempt on Journalist
In December 2022, prominent news journalist and reporter Ciro Gómez
Leyva survived an assassination attempt. President Obrador suggested the
attack was staged, which provoked an open letter from journalists across
the nation condemning the President's use of violent rhetoric against
the media.
Any action that tries to limit or repress the power of the press is
defined as less democratic. A free press is considered a defining
quality of a robust democracy. In this case, the President dismissed the
severity of violence after a series of inciting comments that undermined
the power and importance of free and fair reporting.
