Sheinbaum challenges the OAS over its criticisms of the judicial election: “It exceeds its role and intervenes in political matters.”

The President of Mexico has been unequivocal regarding the comments made by the Organization of American States (OAS) about the judicial election on June 1. Claudia Sheinbaum reminded reporters on Tuesday that the statutes of the organization that sent an International Observation Mission to the elections have a principle of “non-intervention.” In the report, the observers noted that it was a rushed process, with many formal and critical errors, and advised other countries in the continent not to replicate it. “We do not agree with this positioning, which completely exceeds their function and really delves into political matters that only concern Mexicans,” the president stated. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs has already sent a diplomatic letter rejecting some of the recommendations made by the OAS in their report.

Sheinbaum has reiterated the position of the Foreign Ministry regarding the comments from the Observation Mission, assuring that discussions with the OAS will take place in the coming days. “They can come as observers and say what happened on election day, but to advise or even direct Latin American countries not to use this method to choose their judiciary, where does this come from?,” she challenged from the National Palace. The president pointed out that the observers “were only present on election day” and that the new judiciary has not yet taken office, so its functioning cannot be evaluated yet.

In their preliminary report, international observers highlighted several concerns regarding the judicial process on June 1. Firstly, they noted the low participation rate of 13% and called for political and social reflection “given that more than 85% of the electorate has shown no interest in participating.” They also emphasized the seriousness of the presence of cheat sheets, lists with instructions on which candidates should be voted for at the polls. “If it is proven that these cheat sheets were distributed en masse or by public officials, they could constitute prohibited propaganda and potentially an attempt to coerce the voter,” they underscored in the document. They also warned about the lack of selection criteria for candidates, the tight budgets for conducting such a large and massive election, as well as the rushed campaigns that failed to sufficiently inform the electorate about the candidates.

In the letter sent by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to the OAS in response to their preliminary report, the Electoral Observation Mission was reminded that the international organization “engaged in actions contrary to the principles of the Charter of the Organization,” citing Article 3 (e) which states that every state has the right to choose, without external interference, its political, economic, and social system. The Ministry defended that the electoral process was conducted in strict compliance with Mexican laws. “An Electoral Observation Mission does not have the authority to impose its own criteria on how countries, exercising their sovereignty, should shape their judiciary. Even less so to make value judgments that exceed their powers,” concludes the letter.