As Mexican protesters block Congress over judicial overhaul, lawmakers head to vote in nearby gym
Protesters in Mexico City are blocking the entrance to Congress over proposals that would make judges stand for election
MEXICO CITY (AP) — After protesters blocked the entrance to Mexico’s Congress on Tuesday in an attempt to stop a controversial judicial overhaul, lawmakers took the first steps to jam through the proposal at a nearby gymnasium.
The plan would make judges stand for election, something critics say would deal a severe blow to the independence of the judiciary and the system of checks and balances.
The overhaul has fueled a wave of protests by judges, court employees and students across Mexico in recent weeks, and reached another inflection point on Tuesday when protesters strung ropes across entrances to the lower house of Congress to block legislators from entering. That came as the country's Supreme Court voted 8-3 to join strikes, adding more weight to the protests.
“The party with the majority could take control of the judicial branch, and that would practically be the end of democracy,” said protester Javier Reyes, a 37-year-old federal court worker. “They want to own Mexico.”
