The Mexican Senate re-elected Rosario Piedra Ibarra as president of the National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH) for a second term, covering from 2024 to 2029. Despite being the lowest-rated candidate and lacking support from any civil association, Piedra Ibarra became the first official to repeat the position since 1990.
In a session that extended late into the night, Piedra Ibarra received 87 votes, achieving the qualified majority required, while the other two candidates, Nashieli Ramírez and Paulina Hernández Diz, obtained 36 and 1 vote respectively. The voting showed support from the ruling party, the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), as well as from the Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) and the Labor Party (PT), which had the votes of 87 senators, the qualified majority.
Piedra Ibarra's re-election generated divided opinions among ruling and opposition senators. Despite being the lowest-rated candidate of the three, her appointment was questioned by civil and international organizations, such as Amnesty International, which highlighted the human rights crisis in Mexico and the importance of the CNDH in this context.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Piedra Ibarra, daughter of the late activist Rosario Ibarra, has faced criticism for being appointed by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and for allegedly directing the commission in favor of the current government. Despite the controversies, her re-election will keep her at the head of the CNDH for the upcoming term.
