Consolidation of Power in Mexico

Recent changes in Mexico’s judicial selection process reflect a broader trend of power consolidation within the executive branch, particularly under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). Over the past six years, there has been significant deterioration in institutional integrity, economic policy, and security, leading to record-high murder rates and widespread control by organized crime. AMLO’s administration has militarized various sectors, involving the military in non-defensive roles such as infrastructure projects and customs management, further shifting power dynamics. These developments are indicative of a deliberate effort to undermine independent institutions, align them under executive authority, and revert neoliberal reforms that promoted free markets and checks on power.