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By KELIN DILLON

In response to an August 26 editorial in The Washington Post, Marcelo Ebrard and Juan Ramón de la Fuente—the future Secretaries of Foreign Relations and the Economy in Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s government—wrote a letter criticizing the widespread international pushback of Mexico’s controversial proposed judicial reform, which passed through the Chamber of Deputies on Sept. 4.

The two also reacted to the criticisms offered by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, which prompted Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) to suspend Mexico’s relations with the U.S. Embassy.

While highlighting the ongoing internal process to bolster Mexico’s justice system through the “much-needed reform,” the two officials emphasized the need for transparency and efficiency throughout the Judicial Power of the Federation (PJF).

Addressing the shared values between the United States and Mexico, Ebrard and De la Fuente expressed concern over the criticism of Mexico’s judicial reform, particularly the idea that direct elections to the judiciary threaten Mexican democracy. 

“This is both worrying and disconcerting,” said the letter.

Ebrard and Ramón de la Fuente also highlighted the irony in the Washington Post’s critique by pointing out that many states in the United States also elect its judges, a practice that’s generally considered trustworthy by Americans.

Additionally, they characterized the criticism as unwarranted interference in Mexico’s internal affairs and reiterated the country’s openness to dialogue and exchange of ideas “as long as these conversations are based on the profound respect that Mexico and the United States have for each other and their sovereignty.”