More than 34,000 people have registered as candidates for 881 posts in elections next year that will make Mexico the first country to choose all its judges, at every level, by popular vote, data released on Monday showed.
The move has sparked street protests and diplomatic tensions, and prompted eight of the country’s 11 Supreme Court justices — including its president — to rule themselves out of consideration for the first election round next year.
Critics fear that elected judges could be swayed by politics and be vulnerable to pressure from drug cartels, which use bribery and intimidation to influence officials.
President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday hailed the response to the call for candidates, which closed over the weekend, as “historic.”
The change was initiated by her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and enacted before he left office. He said the move was necessary to clean up a “rotten” judiciary serving the interests of the political and economic elite.
It sparked diplomatic friction with economic partners the United States and Canada, upset financial markets and prompted a series of protests by judicial workers and other opponents.
In all, there were 480 candidates for nine posts on the Supreme Court, officials reported Monday. As part of the reform, the court will have two fewer judges.
During his six years in office, Lopez Obrador often criticized the Supreme Court, which impeded some of his policy initiatives in areas such as energy and security.
Washington has warned the reforms threaten a relationship that relies on investor confidence in the Mexican legal framework.
The first election for 881 judges is set for June 1 next year, after a vetting process. Another round will take place in 2027.
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