Mexico City | May 29, 2026 — 07:15 AM local time
Mexico’s lower house of Congress voted Thursday to approve a sweeping constitutional amendment that would allow electoral authorities to annul local election results if foreign interference is proven — a measure critics say is aimed at invalidating recent judicial reform votes widely seen as influenced by U.S. diplomatic pressure.
The vote, 287 to 142, was largely along party lines with the ruling MORENA coalition pushing the measure forward over sharp objections from opposition parties PAN, PRI, and PRD, who called it a “democratic rollback” designed to protect incumbents from accountability.
The amendment now moves to a majority of state legislatures for final ratification. If approved, it would apply retroactively to elections held within the past 180 days — a provision opposition leaders say is explicitly designed to target recent judicial elections in which U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, publicly urged voters to reject MORENA-aligned candidates.
“This is about protecting the sovereignty of our electoral process,” said Deputy Ricardo Monreal, lead sponsor of the amendment. “When a foreign power uses its diplomatic apparatus to interfere in our internal elections, we must have the tools to respond.”
The controversy stems from a February declaration by Ambassador Salazar that U.S.-Mexico trade relations would be “put at risk” if voters elected candidates opposed to the judicial reform package that critics say would weaken independent anti-corruption bodies. MORENA swept those elections, but opposition parties have filed formal complaints alleging Salazar’s statement violated Mexico’s electoral integrity laws.
President Claudia Sheinbaum defended the amendment at a morning press conference, saying Mexico had “every right to defend the purity of its ballot box.” She added that the measure was “a direct response to documented attempts by foreign actors to distort the will of the Mexican people.”
The Biden administration has not issued a formal response, but two State Department officials speaking on background said Washington was “deeply concerned” about the precedent the amendment could set for democratic governance in the region.
The Organization of American States (OAS) issued a statement calling the amendment “incompatible with Inter-American democratic standards” and said it would consider action if the measure is ratified by state legislatures.
Mexico City’s civic electoral tribunal, TRIFE, said it would review the constitutionality of the amendment once it is formally published — a process expected to take up to 30 days. Legal experts say the retroactive clause is almost certain to face a Supreme Court challenge.
The amendment is the latest flashpoint in a widening diplomatic dispute over U.S. influence in Mexican politics. Last month, Mexico expelled a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration liaison officer after Sheinbaum’s office said the officer had been found coordinating with opposition figures ahead of the judicial elections. The DEA denied the allegation.
For ordinary Mexicans, the stakes extend beyond diplomacy. The judicial reform — which restructures how Supreme Court justices are elected — has become a proxy battle between those who want to curtail U.S. economic leverage in Mexico and those who argue the reforms undermine institutional checks on executive power.
Analysts say the amendment’s fate now depends on which states ratify it first. MORENA controls 22 of 32 state legislatures, but ratification requires a simple majority — meaning the coalition needs only 16 additional votes to enshrine the amendment into law. Several opposition-controlled states have already signaled they will block ratification.
The outcome may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court, which has 90 days to issue a ruling once the amendment reaches the tribunal. Until then, Mexico’s political class remains locked in a confrontation with no clear resolution in sight.