### Baja California Congress Approves Judicial Reform Amidst Protests
On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, a heated confrontation unfolded outside the Baja California Congress as workers from the Federal Judiciary (PJF) clashed with state police officers from the Citizens Security State Force (FESC). The PJF workers were fervently opposing a judicial reform that threatened their job security. Despite the bloodshed and chaos, deputies proceeded with approving the reform through a virtual Zoom session, citing the disruption from the protesters had affected the electric and connectivity systems within the legislative chamber.
The reform passed with 20 votes in favor and five against from opposing factions, including the PAN, PRI, and Movimiento Ciudadano parties. Deputies Daylin García Ruvalcaba warned, “This is how the rule of law dies,” while Diego Echevarría Ibarra labeled the reform as populist, arguing it centralizes power and stifles checks and balances.
Protesters began their assault around 1 PM, shattering the main glass doors of the legislative building and storming in with banners and chants like “The judiciary will not fall.” The situation quickly escalated to violent clashes with police officers, resulting in two individuals getting injured and one being detained.
One of the injured, identified as Gilberto Camacho, was in critical condition and under police protection at Mexicali General Hospital (HGM). Police struggled to contain the crowd as protesters breached the session hall, hurling insults such as “traitors” at the deputies.
Maribelda Tafolla, a PJF representative, urged all Baja California citizens to join their cause, condemning the aggression and violation of their right to free assembly. She emphasized the essential nature of judicial independence and impartiality, aspects that took over a century to secure, asserting that the struggle was just beginning.
Following the reform’s approval, additional protests erupted, including a blockade at the Mexicali commercial border crossing. Demonstrators carried signs with messages like “Without the judiciary, who will protect you?” and “Combining all three powers in one person is a dictatorship.” The protest area was left in disarray, with shattered glass and bloodstains, while over 40 security officers guarded the premises.
Deputies Echevarría Ibarra and María Yolanda Gaona of the PAN descended to support the protesters, promising to vote against the reform. Leopoldo Tizoc Aguilar Durán, the state Secretary of Citizen Security, also made an appearance to evaluate the situation but refrained from commenting on the level of force used by the officers.
In related developments, the judicial reform had already been approved in other states, including Oaxaca, Tabasco (the home state of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador), Veracruz, and Quintana Roo, despite public protests at various locations.
### Secondary Article: Judicial Reforms Spark Nationwide Controversy
The recent approval of the judicial reform in Baja California echoes a broader pattern of judicial changes across several Mexican states. The reform, widely perceived as a move that could potentially undermine the independence of the judiciary, has sparked significant backlash.
In Oaxaca, the state’s Congress was the first to approve the reform, closely followed by Tabasco, where demonstrators gathered outside the Congress building to voice their opposition. Veracruz also saw an urgent session convened for ratifying the judicial amendments.
In contrast, Quintana Roo’s legislature approved the reforms with 21 votes in favor and four against. The contentious nature of these reforms is deeply embedded in concerns over the potential centralization of power and diminished judicial checks and balances, which many argue are cornerstones for maintaining democratic integrity.
The scenario unfolding across Mexico illustrates a pivotal moment in the nation’s political landscape, where power dynamics and governance structures are being intensely debated and redefined. The outcomes of these reforms and the public’s response will likely shape the judicial and political arenas for years to come.
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