In 2024, the crime prevalence rate in Mexico reached 23,323 victims per 100,000 inhabitants. The initiative presented by Deputy Ricardo Mejía Berdeja of PT aims to reform Article 390 of the Federal Penal Code to update the penalties for those responsible for extortion in the country.
According to Mejía Berdeja, the current legislation contemplates penalties of two to eight years of prison and fines of forty to sixty days for those who force another to yield under threats in order to obtain an economic benefit. The reform proposal redefines extortion to explicitly include elements such as violence, threats, intimidation, and any means of coercion as part of the crime, expanding the fine range to up to one hundred sixty days.
The initiative aims to increase penalties for the crime of extortion by up to 50% when the victims are women, girls, boys, adolescents, people with disabilities, migrants, the elderly, or indigenous people. In Mexico, extortion is one of the most common crimes, ranking third after fraud and theft, with levels of impunity close to 100%.
Article 390 of the Federal Penal Code, in effect since 1984 and last modified in 1994, is considered obsolete in light of new forms of criminality. The proposal was sent to the Justice Commission for analysis and suggests the inclusion of aggravating factors for cases where the crime is committed by members of criminal groups or from penitentiary centers.
It is highlighted that extortion not only affects the property of victims but also their emotional stability and their perception of security. Mejía Berdeja emphasized the importance of updating laws to address this crime, which significantly impacts Mexican society, considering factors such as socioeconomic level, education, age, gender, and sex.
