President Lopez Obrador’s extension of the mandate of Supreme Court President Arturo Zaldivar is part of his vigorous effort to centralize power in the Mexican presidency and to empty the independence and power of other Mexican institutions. His other moves to prove the justice system to his will include reform lowering judges’ salaries but not improving the quality of prosecutors and his unwillingness to allow the independent selection of the attorney general, with Lopez Obrador himself retaining the power of appointment. . His recent move to extend Zaldivar’s term by two years is particularly worrisome. Zaldivar is also the president of the powerful Federal Judicial Council. The council appoints and dismisses judges, sets career progression rules, and controls judges. Zaldivar will determine the agenda and priorities of the Council, and thus, the agenda and priorities of the entire judiciary for a period of two years. This allows Lopez Obrador to influence how the courts rule on issues related to executive power, what cases they hear, and the legality of new policies. These moves occur when the effectiveness of the judiciary in Mexico remains limited and deeply disturbing. The attorney general’s office has proven weak, and unwilling to address key issues such as the suspects in the brazen attack on Mexico City’s security minister, Omar Garcia Harvouch – an event symbolizing the impunity with which Mexican criminal groups operate. Mexico’s justice system has shown itself meek and disappointing in the inadequate investigation of the alleged collusion of former Mexican Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos and dismissing the case, possibly the most important corruption and criminal conspiracy case against a high-ranking Mexican official in two decades. A decade and a half after Mexico initiated justice system reforms, 95 percent of federal cases still go unpunished. President Lopez Obrador has scored some points, but Mexico’s already weak rule of law, and by extension the Mexican people, will suffer.
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