The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, became enraged upon discovering that some ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the country, instead of supporting him, were being loyal to the Constitution. This situation sparked controversies about what the outcome of events would have been if the plagiarism scandal involving Minister Yasmín Esquivel had not been uncovered, which prevented her election as president of the Court.
Initially, López Obrador had the opportunity to appoint three ministers to the Court, but two of them turned out not to be loyal to his interests. Had he managed to have four unconditional members on the Court, the president would have prevented the invalidation of regulatory laws through actions of unconstitutionality. However, this strategy did not go as he had hoped.
Additionally, a proposal to double the number of ministers of the Court was raised in 2019, which would have had a significant impact on the configuration of the Judiciary and possibly on the direction of the country for several decades. The interest in controlling the Supreme Court by López Obrador’s government has been evident since the beginning of his term.
Senator Ricardo Monreal was key in proposing the expansion of the number of ministers, although this initiative was criticized and ultimately discarded. Monreal's 'balloon' strategy, of releasing an idea to gauge its acceptance before proceeding, showed the intention to influence the Court and the Judiciary.
The series of events, including the failed extension of Arturo Zaldívar's term as president of the Court, reflects López Obrador's attempts to control this power. The resistance against these actions from the Court and various sectors of the country highlights the importance of maintaining judicial independence.
