Mexican President Denounces rebellion of the Judicial Power
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denounced on Friday, October 20th, that a “rebellion of the Judicial Power” is underway.
The Mexican president’s assertion is due to the progress of the national strike by the courts and the protest scheduled for Sunday against the government’s cut to justice system funds.
“We are living in interesting times. When had we ever seen a rebellion of the Judicial Power against the Executive in history? Never. I mean, it was the Executive that held the power of powers,” the president expressed during his morning press conference.
His statements come after the judicial branch began a strike on Thursday that will last until October 24, the longest of this century, following the Chamber of Deputies’ cut of trust funds totaling 15,000 million pesos (over 820 million dollars).
The alleged judicial rebellion includes collegiate courts, circuit courts, and lower courts, leading to the suspension of justice delivery except for urgent cases that involve violations of fundamental rights or arrests.
Workers, including judges, will protest this Sunday in Mexico City and in nearly 20 other cities, such as Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Tijuana.
Rebellion of the Judicial Power
They accuse López Obrador and his allied legislators of affecting their labor rights with the fund cuts, which will now go to the Federal Treasury.
“Imagine, a march to maintain privileges, it’s embarrassing. Furthermore, they are lying. We have stated here: salaries will not be reduced, workers of the Judicial Power will not have their paychecks cut, and their benefits will not be taken away,” the president commented on the matter.
The Mexican leader has argued that the judicial rebellion in Mexico lacks a foundation because the extinction of resources is aimed at “those at the top,” stating that Supreme Court justices earn 700,000 pesos monthly (over 380,000 dollars).
This episode represents a new clash between the president and the Judicial Power, which he accuses of being riddled with corruption and opposing his political agenda by invalidating some of his most controversial reforms, such as the militarization of the National Guard.
“And the strike is fine. Well, it’s not fine, but it’s not bad either because this way, we won’t be surprised when criminals are set free,” López Obrador emphasized.
Also read: Judicial Workers in Mexico in Protest.
