**Primary Article: Judicial Workers Block Senate Entrances; Adán Claims Majority with 85 Votes**
By: Carlos Álvarez Acevedo
On the early morning of September 5, 2024, judicial workers from the Federal Judiciary of Mexico (PJF) and law students from various regions blocked all entrances to the Senate in Mexico City. Their protest was against the proposed judicial reform. This action significantly affected traffic, particularly around the intersections of Insurgentes and Reforma Avenues in the Cuauhtémoc borough.
The demonstrators chanted slogans such as “United circuits will never be defeated” and “the Judiciary will fall.” Due to the blockage, Senate employees were informed that sessions would take place at an alternate location. Protesters stated their intention to maintain the blockade at least until Sunday, September 8, 2024, when the joint commissions on Constitutional Points and Legislative Studies would finalize the reform minutes sent by the Chamber of Deputies.
Participants spread out across various Senate entrances, taking positions on the sidewalks of Paseo de la Reforma. Some set up tents, while others stood by the police barricades established by the city’s Citizen Security Secretariat (SSC). These barricades were in place throughout the night on streets like Madrid and Paris, as well as along Paseo de la Reforma Avenue.
Patricia Aguayo Bernal, Secretary of the Tenth Collegiate Labor Tribunal and spokesperson for the PJF workers, declared that they would not allow opposition senators to betray voter trust and would demand adherence to constitutional obligations.
One day prior, Judge Martha Eugenia Magaña López from Morelos granted an injunction preventing the Congress from discussing or voting on the judicial reform. This injunction was in response to an amparo filed by four federal judges who were against the constitutional reform, specifically its potential impact on their roles.
However, the Chamber of Deputies refused to comply with this injunction, which led to the current situation where the reform cannot be discussed in the Senate or sent to state legislatures for further ratification.
Adán Augusto López Hernández, coordinator of the Morena parliamentary group in the Senate, stated that 85 votes would be sufficient to achieve a qualified majority needed for the so-called “fourth transformation,” which includes Morena, the Green Ecologist Party (PVEM), and the Labor Party (PT). He quoted the legislative information system, pointing out that a qualified majority in the Mexican Congress corresponds to two-thirds of the legislators present.
**Secondary Article: Tensions Mount Over Continued Judicial Reform Protests**
As the blockade at the Senate continues, pressure mounts from both sides of the political spectrum. Senate leaders are scrambling to reach a compromise while ensuring the legislative process is not derailed by sustained protests.
Workers and students involved in the blockade have reiterated their position, asserting that constitutional duties and democratic principles must be upheld. Meanwhile, various political analysts have commented on the unprecedented nature of the judiciary’s intervention via amparo, highlighting the judiciary’s increasing assertiveness in political debates.
Additional reports from local news suggest there is growing concern about potential escalations if the protests prolong. Citizens are already feeling the strain from disrupted commutes and increased police presence around the protest sites.
These developments add layers of complexity to the ongoing judicial reform debate, a subject that continues to captivate public attention and dominate political discourse in Mexico.
Please visit TJGringo.com for continuous updates on this unfolding story.