Hundreds of protesters stormed Mexico’s Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to overhaul the judiciary. The proposal, championed by outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, prompted widespread protests, leading the Senate to temporarily suspend its session for the safety of its members.
The disruption followed a key political maneuver earlier in the day, when the ruling party, Morena, secured the necessary votes to advance the judiciary overhaul after a member of an opposition party switched sides. This move, along with other political tactics, further inflamed tensions following weeks of protests led by judicial employees and law students.
Critics argue that the plan, which calls for electing all judges, could jeopardize judicial independence and weaken the system of checks and balances. Protesters, frustrated with the perceived disregard of their concerns, forced their way into the Senate chambers in an attempt to block the vote. Demonstrators broke down doors and used pipes and chains, resulting in a chaotic scene where at least one person fainted during the breach.
Chanting “The judiciary isn’t going to fall,” protesters waved Mexican flags and held signs denouncing the overhaul. They were joined by several opposition senators who also voiced their objections. Outside the Senate, the crowd erupted in cheers when news broke that the session had been temporarily adjourned.
Alejandro Navarrete, a 30-year-old judicial worker among the protesters, expressed his frustration: “They have decided to sell out the nation for political capital. We felt obligated to enter the Senate to prevent them from leading us into a dictatorship.” He emphasized that their intention was not to resort to violence but to make it clear that the Mexican people would not tolerate the reform.
Despite the ongoing unrest, the proposed overhaul passed through the lower house of Congress last week and was under consideration in the Senate. Although Morena held a strong position, it still lacked the supermajority required for approval. In recent weeks, the party managed to secure the support of two opposition senators but remained one vote short of the needed majority.
Speculation intensified over the weekend regarding the potential defection of Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez, a senator from the conservative National Action Party (PAN), who had refrained from responding to his party’s leadership, raising suspicions that he might back Morena’s proposal.
The Senate’s deliberations on the judiciary overhaul remain highly contentious as protests continue to grow in opposition to the plan.
