President Claudia Sheinbaum was up bright and early once again on Monday to preside over her morning press conference, or mañanera, at the National Palace.
There was reason for Sheinbaum to have a spring in her step: The El Financiero newspaper published the results of a poll that showed that 70% of respondents approved of her performance in her first weeks as Mexico’s first female leader.
The same poll found that 59% of respondents consider the president’s mañaneras to be “very good or good,” while just 21% said the opposite.
The president’s press conferences have been shorter and more focused than those of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who often gave verbose answers to reporters’ questions that were prone to veer into lessons on Mexican history or attacks on his political opponents.
Here is a brief summary of some key parts of Sheinbaum’s presser on Monday morning.
The Supreme Court is causing a ‘constitutional problem,’ Sheinbaum claims
Supreme Court (SCJN) Justice Juan Luis González Alcántara Carrancá asserted last week that the Sheinbaum administration will trigger a “constitutional crisis” if it refuses to comply with a SCJN ruling against the recently enacted judicial reform.
The SCJN on Tuesday will consider a proposal from González to strike down provisions in the reform that allow all judges to be elected in Mexico. Under his proposal, only SCJN justices would be elected and all other judges would continue to be appointed.
On Monday, Sheinbaum once again argued that the SCJN doesn’t have the authority to hand down a decision on a reform that was approved by the federal Congress and ratified by a majority of state legislatures.
“The constitutional reform was already published so they’re legislating on a constitutional reform,” she said after advising the SCJN to take into account the recently-promulgated “constitutional supremacy” reform, which prevents legal challenges against constitutional amendments.
“Who do constitutional reforms correspond to? The legislative [power],” Sheinbaum said.
“… What the Supreme Court wants to do now is legislate, change what the Congress has already decided. In other words, the court is exceeding its authority,” she said.
“… Of course we have a plan, whether they decide in favor or against [González’s proposal],” Sheinbaum said.
“Who is causing a constitutional problem? I don’t even want to call it a ‘crisis’ because that’s what our adversaries call it. Who is causing it? The Supreme Court,” she said.
The US presidential election
“Obviously we respect and we will respect the decision of the people of the United States,” Sheinbaum said when asked about Tuesday’s presidential election.
“… Once the United States electoral institutions take their decision with respect to the next president of the United States we will be in contact with the next presidente or presidenta,” she said.
Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of the USMCA trade pact, and declared that “high-level dialogue” on issues such as migration and fentanyl will continue regardless of the election outcome.
“There will be a good relationship,” she added.
5th anniversary of massacre in Bavispe, Sonora
Nov. 4 is the fifth anniversary of the murder in Bavispe, Sonora, of three women and six children, all of whom were dual Mexican-American citizens and belonged to Mormon families that live in northern Mexico.
Sheinbaum told reporters that a total of 36 people have been arrested in connection with the crime, which was allegedly perpetrated by members of the La Línea faction of the Juárez Cartel.
Asked whether she would meet with relatives of the deceased, the president said she hadn’t received a request from the LeBaron family to do so.
“We’re going to wait to see what the family asks for,” she said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
