“Good morning. How are you? Ready for Sunday? Who’s going to vote?”
With those words, President Claudia Sheinbaum began her morning press conference on Friday, two days before citizens will go to the polls to vote in Mexico’s first ever judicial elections.
The elections are essential to rid Mexico’s judiciary of corruption, according to Sheinbaum and other supporters of the 2024 judicial reform, while government critics claim that installing judges by popular vote will lead to an erosion of judicial independence.
“Mexico is removing its last check on executive power,” screamed the headline of an opinion piece by The Washington Post’s editorial board that was published on Friday.
“The process is being sold as a mechanism to clean out an intensely corrupt justice system and bring more democracy to Mexico. But given the ruling Morena party’s overwhelming popularity among Mexican voters, the election will serve mostly to bring the judiciary in line with Morena’s interests,” the Post said.
Sheinbaum has predicted a large turnout, but the National Electoral Institute, which is organizing the elections, expects that just 13%-20% of eligible voters will cast a ballot.
On Friday morning, the president — prohibited from promoting any individual candidates vying for almost 900 federal judgeships as well as some 1,800 local judicial positions — made a final plea to Mexicans to exercise their right to vote.
“Let’s all vote on Sunday!” she said.
Sheinbaum touts ‘good relationship’ with Carlos Slim
Early in her engagement with reporters, Sheinbaum was asked about her meeting on Thursday with Carlos Slim, a business titan who is Mexico’s richest person.
“He was here with his son as I’ve established a good relationship with the engineer Slim,” she said.
The octogenarian magnate, a graduate of the National Autonomous University’s civil engineering program, is “a very intelligent man, very educated,” Sheinbaum said.
“It’s always refreshing to hear his opinions,” she added.
Sheinbaum said she spoke to Slim about “the current situation” in Mexico, touching on his views on Mexico’s relationship with the United States and his opinion about “the investments that are arriving.”
“It was very interesting to listen to him. … He’s very optimistic,” she said.
After a meeting with Sheinbaum last October, Slim — owner of companies such as Telcel, Telmex, Sanborns and Carso Infrastructure and Construction — said that Mexico can expect “many very good years in the future.”
Mexican senators to travel to Washington to present case against US remittances tax
“We’re going to try to inform all [U.S.] senators about the impact the tax on remittances will have,” Sheinbaum told reporters.
On Thursday of last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would impose a 3.5% remittance tax on funds sent abroad by individuals who are not U.S. citizens.
The U.S. Senate will now consider the measure, part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” put forward by the Republican Party.
Sheinbaum called on Mexicans in the United States, “especially those who have dual nationality,” to contact U.S. senators and tell them “they don’t agree with this tax.”
She said that her government would do exactly that “from here.”
Sheinbaum noted that Mexican senators will travel to Washington, D.C., next week to speak with U.S. senators and “express their opinion” about the proposed tax.
The Mexican senators — who condemned the proposal in a statement earlier this month — represent “all the political parities, not just [the ruling party] Morena,” she stressed.
“… They’re going to present arguments [against the tax] and we will as well,” Sheinbaum said.
“… The compatriots [in the United States] and the people of Mexico should know that their government is here to support them always,” she said.
“… The Mexicans there already pay taxes and it’s unfair for them to pay double,” said Sheinbaum, who has asserted that the remittances tax is “unconstitutional.“
Sheinbaum offers an insight into her decision-making process
After noting that the first anniversary of Sheinbaum’s election victory is approaching, a reporter asked the president to nominate the most difficult decision she has taken since she was sworn in last October.
“The truth is that one takes decisions every day,” Sheinbaum responded.
“… There are decisions that are circumstantial, decisions that one has to take about priority and strategic projects,” she added.
Sheinbaum indicated that if she is unsure what decision she should take, she acts on her principles.
“If one has doubts, always the principles, you will never be wrong,” she said.
“In his time, President López Obrador used to say that ‘politics is principles and effectiveness,'” Sheinbaum said.
“But when you have doubts, … [when you’re asking yourself,] ‘do I go here? Do I go there? What decision should I take?’, always [go back to your] principles,” Sheinbaum said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
