One month before the inauguration of Mexico’s next president, Claudia Sheinbaum, thousands of workers in the country’s judiciary branch have launched a strike, joined by judges and magistrates alarmed at a plan spearheaded by Sheinbaum’s predecessor, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in his final weeks in office. It’s a plan that will punctuate a perilous 30-day period that begins on Sept. 1.
The plan, a major judicial overhaul, is one of the centerpieces of what looks very much like a power grab not only for the ruling Morena Party, but also by President Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, who is leveraging a gap in the calendar to create the conditions for his party—and for himself—to maximize their influence for the foreseeable future.
Concern over the implications of the plan extend far beyond Mexico’s judiciary. Mexican markets are reflecting concerns about what it means for the economy, and Wall Street firms are downgrading Mexico’s debt. Tampering with the independence of the judiciary could have far reaching effects on the rule of law, on human rights and on the environment for business.