Jorge Rebolledo resigned this Wednesday and Alfredo Mena had already resigned. Five other judges are expected to follow this path, including Supreme Court President Norma Piña.
Two judges of Mexico’s Supreme Court resigned in less than 24 hours, due to a judicial reform that made Mexico the first country to elect all judges by popular vote.
Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo resigned this Wednesdayin a letter sent to the upper house of Mexico’s parliament, joining Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena, who resigned this Tuesday.
Five other judges should follow this pathincluding the president of the Supreme Court, Norma Piña. The only judges who have expressed interest in going to elections are Lenia Batres, Yazmín Esquivel and Loreta Ortiz, aligned with the current Government.
Pardo Rebolledo stressed that his resignation It occurs in light of the judicial reform that forces judges to resign if they do not want to participate in the June 2025 electoral process.
The judge said he was convinced that he had carried out his work with independence, objectivity and excellence and denied that his dismissal implied acceptance of judicial reform.
Furthermore, Pardo Rebolledo strongly rejected what he described as “insults and lies” to which he was subjected as a member of the Supreme Court.
HE The judicial reform was approved by the previous head of state, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, weeks before leaving power.on October 1st.
During his mandate, Obrador accused the Mexican judicial system of being corrupt and serving only the economic interests of the elite, while more than 90% of crimes go unpunished in Mexicoaccording to non-governmental organizations.
The judicial reform establishes that judges who do not apply or are not elected will lose their right to a retirement pension, unless they resign before the end of the competition.
The new president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated this Tuesday that the The dismissal of the judges is due to the desire to keep “a lot of money” from their retirement pensions.
The president of the Senate, the upper house of parliament, Gerardo Fernández Noroña, also suggested that judges refuse to participate in elections “to leave with full suitcases.”
Opponents consider that the Judicial reform will call into question the independence of judges and make them vulnerable to pressure from organized crime.
The United States, Mexico’s main trading partner, considered the reform “a risk” for Mexican democracy and “a threat” to bilateral trade relationsat a time when Mexico overtook China as its northern neighbor’s largest trading partner.
Multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, business organizations such as the International Chamber of Commerce and financial rating agencies such as Fitch and Moody’s have also warned about the negative repercussions for Mexico due to this reform.
Source: Observadora
