President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday signed into law controversial judicial reforms making Mexico the world’s only country to elect all its judges by popular vote.

The outgoing leftist championed the constitutional changes that he says are needed to clean up a “rotten” judiciary serving the interests of the political and economic elite.

Critics fear that elected judges could be swayed by politics and vulnerable to pressure from powerful drug cartels that regularly use bribery and intimidation to influence officials.

Lopez Obrador signed the decree in a video posted on social media, calling it a “historic day.”

He was accompanied by president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, his close ally, who will replace him on October 1 following a landslide election win that left the ruling coalition with large majorities in both chambers of Congress.

“We need justice for everyone, for there to be no corruption in the judiciary, for judges, magistrates and justices to apply to the letter the principle that there is nothing outside the law and no one above the law,” Lopez Obrador said.

“It was said that we lived in a democracy, but no, an oligarchy dominated — they were the ones in charge, those at the top, a minority with a facade of democracy,” he added.

Lopez Obrador has frequently lashed out at the judiciary since taking office in 2018 — in particular the Supreme Court, which has impeded some of his policies in areas such as energy and security.

The judicial reforms have sparked diplomatic tensions with key trade partners the United States and Canada, upset investors and triggered opposition street protests.

Last week, legislators were forced to suspend their debate and move to another location after demonstrators stormed the Senate.

Opponents say the reforms — under which even Supreme Court and other high-level judges will have to stand for election in 2025 or 2027 — undermine democratic checks and balances.

Mass election of all judges “does not exist in any other country,” Margaret Satterthwaite, UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, told AFP ahead of the law’s approval.

“Without strong safeguards to guard against the infiltration of organized crime (in the judicial selection process), an election system may become vulnerable to such powerful forces,” she said.

The United States, Mexico’s main trading partner, has warned that the reforms would threaten a relationship that relies on investor confidence in the Mexican legal framework.

The changes could pose “a major risk” to Mexican democracy and enable criminals to exploit “politically motivated and inexperienced judges,” US Ambassador Ken Salazar said last month.

Human Rights Watch had urged lawmakers to reject what it called the “dangerous proposals,” saying they would “seriously undermine judicial independence and contravene international human rights standards.”

AFP

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was safe after what the FBI said appeared to be an attempted assassination attempt on Sunday outside Trump’s golf course in Palm Beach, Florida.

There were shots fired outside the course, law enforcement sources said.

Trump’s campaign had earlier said he was safe following gunshots in his vicinity but gave no details.

The Associated Press reported that U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump’s golf club, citing two unnamed law enforcement sources, adding that no injuries were reported.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report, which said that the suspect fled in an SUV and was apprehended in another county.

CNN quoted Martin County Sheriff William Snyder to have said his agency apprehended the suspect sought by Palm Beach County.

The Secret Service said it was investigating the incident, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m. (1800 GMT).

Trump sent an email to his fundraising list saying there were “gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” according to an email seen by Reuters.

Trump was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13, raising questions about protection for candidates just months ahead of what looks likely to be highly contested Nov. 5 elections in which he will face off against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident and were relieved to know that he is safe.

“Violence has no place in America,” Harris said in an X social media post.

Reuters was not immediately able to confirm his account.

The Washington Post said Trump had been golfing at the course when the incident occurred. Secret Service agents took him to a holding room at the club, it said, citing two people briefed on what had happened.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The first shooting of a U.S. president or major party presidential candidate in more than four decades was a glaring security lapse that forced Kimberly Cheatle to resign as Secret Service director under bipartisan congressional pressure.

Trump was grazed in the right ear, and one rallygoer was killed in the gunfire. The gunman, identified as a 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.

The U.S. Secret Service’s new acting director said in August that he was “ashamed” of a security lapse that led to the assassination attempt.

Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, widely believed had died is alive and leading al-Qaeda.

Hamza, 34, was previously reported dead in 2019, and reportedly based in Jalalabad, a known terrorist hub east of Kabul.

The development is now raising serious concerns about the continuation of Osama bin Laden’s legacy and the potential for further violence and terrorism, UK Mirror reports.

According to the report, Hamza, also known as the “Crown Prince of Terror,” is said to be secretly commanding the terrorist network, alongside his brother Abdullah.

The report said intelligence suggests that both brothers have established a militant dynasty.

They are assumed to have 10 major terror training camps in Afghanistan and connections to other global extremist groups.

The report further revealed that Hamza has camps where he trains fighters and suicide bombers, and teach them how to slip out of Afghanistan to launch threats against Western targets.

“Hamza bin Laden is not only alive but actively involved in al-Qaeda’s resurgence, a fact well-known among senior Taliban leaders. These leaders engage with him, holding regular meetings and securing him and his family,” a report seen by the Mirror stated.

Source: Caveat