Photo: Canva

By KELIN DILLON

During her daily press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 15, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (CSP) affirmed that private sector investments in Mexico – both domestic and international – will not be affected by the nation’s controversial and recently passed constitutional judicial reform.

Critics of the reform have cautioned that its provisions, which will cause members of the Mexican judicial branch to be elected by popular vote, could have legal repercussions on the private sector in favor of nationalized companies such as the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) or policies favored by Sheinbaum’s National Regeneration Movement (Morena).

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai similarly echoed concerns about the reform’s impacts on trade relations between the United States and Mexico on Monday, Oct. 14.

“They have nothing to worry about,” said Sheinbaum on Monday morning. “The judiciary is a power that even the Justice of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of the Court, has publicly said is close to or more than 50 percent nepotistic. The corruption that exists in the judiciary has been demonstrated on various occasions. We are reforming the judiciary to improve the rule of law. That is what is being done.”

“No American businessman, no company from any other country, nor Mexicans, have to fear judicial reform. On the contrary, what we are going to do is clean up the judicial branch, not us, as the executive branch, but the people of Mexico; we are going to clean up the judicial branch to strengthen the Rule of Law,” concluded CSP.

Later that day, Sheinbaum met with a group of dozens of Mexican and U.S. business leaders in the CEO Dialogue to discuss plans and concerns surrounding investment in Mexico.

Following the meeting, Secretary of the Economy Marcelo Ebrard revealed that the businessmen have confirmed investments in Mexico surpassing $20 billion.