Protests Erupt Over Judicial Reform in Mexico

On September 11, hundreds of protesters stormed Mexico's Senate, forcing lawmakers to temporarily suspend a debate on a controversial judicial reform proposed by outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The plan aims to allow voters to elect all judges, making Mexico unique in this approach, but critics argue it threatens judicial independence and could lead to increased political influence from organized crime. Protesters, consisting mainly of judicial employees and law students, broke through security barriers and chanted slogans against the reform, which they view as a step toward dictatorship. Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña declared an indefinite recess amidst the chaos, later announcing the session would continue at an alternative location. Opponents, including various political parties and civil society members, have voiced strong objections, asserting that the reform undermines democracy. López Obrador defends the reform as a necessary measure to eliminate corruption and nepotism within the judiciary, claiming the current system serves the elite.