The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) continues to operate as a non-profit civil association, maintaining its research, analysis, and public policy proposal activities in strict compliance with the law, the organization indicated. Other organizations, such as Mexicanos Primero and México Evalúa, are also awaiting a resolution after having requested the renewal of their status since December 2025. According to information published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on January 9, more than 100 organizations have been affected by this process. Amnesty International warned that the cancellation of permits to receive tax-deductible donations from more than 100 civil organizations in Mexico represents a "direct blow" to their operational capacity, in a context that it said is part of a regional trend of restrictions on civil society. Through a series of posts on its social networks, the organization stated that the decision by the Tax Administration Service (SAT), applied to 113 organizations, is not a "minor procedure," but a measure with concrete effects in key areas such as human rights defense, legal support for victims, attention to gender-based violence, and protection of indigenous territories. "Fewer resources for: human rights defense, legal support for victims, attention to gender-based violence, protection of indigenous territories," Amnesty International Mexico stated. The organization framed the decision within a broader phenomenon in the Americas, where it warned, the adoption of "anti-NGO laws" is growing. According to AI Mexico, these are policies that, under the argument of promoting transparency, end up "controlling and weakening civil society." In the Mexican case, the organization argued that associations already face an "excessive" administrative burden, with "duplicated reports, repetitive requirements, and prior controls on the use of funds," which results in them spending "less time helping, more time in bureaucracy." Likewise, it questioned what it called a "double standard" in terms of accountability: "Organizations are required to do everything. But many public institutions continue not to disclose how they use resources." Amnesty International underscored the role of civil society in public life, by stating that it "documents abuses, accompanies victims, monitors elections, promotes better laws," and therefore, it warned, "weakening it is weakening all of society." The organization proposed that the underlying debate should not focus on a dichotomy between control and freedom, but on the implications for the oversight of public power. "Do we want a country where no one watches over power?" it questioned, while warning that when non-governmental organizations are weakened, "corruption and abuses grow." In this sense, it called for the establishment of "clear and fair rules" that guarantee transparency without affecting the operation of organizations. "A safer and more democratic Mexico needs more civil society, not less," the organization concluded. Organizations seek to reverse revocations Various organizations reported that they have initiated processes to regain their status as authorized donees. The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) reported that it continues to carry out procedures after the revocation of its authorization by the SAT, derived from the tax authority not recognizing the validity of an accreditation issued by the Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (SECIHTI). According to the organization, although it processed said accreditation on time and form, the SAT later determined that the body that issued it "did not have the necessary attributions," so it revoked its status. IMCO detailed that it has presented new applications to meet the requirements, including an accreditation for social development activities submitted on November 18, 2025, which remains pending resolution. Despite this, it affirmed that it maintains its operations without changes. The revocation implies that, while they can continue to receive donations, they are no longer tax-deductible for those who make them. So far, the SAT has not issued additional information on the status of the applications or on the specific criteria applied in each case.
