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By KELIN DILLON

During a rally at the Mexico City’s Collegiate Criminal Courts on Avenida Revolución on Tuesday, June 25, a group of Mexican federal judges announced they would pursue opening a dialogue with Mexico’s President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum surrounding the soon-to-be federal executive’s controversial planned reforms to the Judicial Branch of the Federation (PJF).

According to the magistrates, the reform’s proposal to elect Mexico’s judges by popular vote is “vulgar populist propaganda” and could result in the “destruction” of the PJF.

“Of course, we are going to look to speak with Sheinbau, the problem is getting the doors open and above all that there is a sensitive ear that will listen to us, not that hears us, but listen to us so that we can engage in dialogue,” said Tenth Collegiate Court in Criminal Matters Judge Reynaldo Manuel Reyes Rosas.

“The reform affects the rule of law, not because the people are not wise, but because as the president says there are positions that require more than a popular election; popular election is not properly identified with democracy, that is a sophistry, it is a sophistry because then the public should also be able to vote for the federal cabinet of secretaries,” continued Reyes Rosa.

At the same event, Judge Rogelio Alanis García encouraged his fellow PJF magistrates to speak out against the proposed so-called ‘plan c’ reforms.

“If there is a destructive reform of the judiciary, there will be no one to go to speak with and enforce the law or the Mexican Constitution, there will be no working conditions to defend, there will be no one to go to to assert one’s voice, there will be no court to listen to people,” concluded Alanis.