No reelection, no nepotism?
The MORENA governments continue to promote critical changes to the nation's democratic order, after two new proposals for constitutional reform were announced by President Claudia Sheinbaum. The first is aimed at extending the prohibition of reelection—in general, not only immediate—to all elected positions, returning to the configuration this issue had before the ill-fated administration of Enrique Peña Nieto. Currently, federal and state deputies, senators, mayors, and other municipal offices may be reelected consecutively at least twice. The president has been blocked from reelection since 1933. The issue of reelection—whether immediate or not—in Latin America has sparked an intense and interesting historical discussion, with countries such as Mexico and Paraguay being extremely restrictive, especially concerning the figure of the president, who cannot be reelected even in non-consecutive terms.
Any of the philosophical and political worldviews that underpin each position in this regard is debatable, since it is often assumed the negative democratic drift of the person who has been in power—a threat that I think can be appeased with strong accountability systems and real popular control—, or on the contrary, the positive air for national politics that a newcomer will bring. The other reform initiative that Claudia Sheinbaum is promoting is associated with suspending the possibility of immediate succession in an elected position among relatives, in an alleged potential blow to that cancer corroding politics everywhere that we call nepotism. Last year was extremely tense in Mexico with a controversial judicial reform promoted by the previous administration, which introduced the popular election of all judges.
Sheinbaum's critics point out that this new proposal leaves open the possibility for one of the sons of her political mentor and former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to run for the biggest post in the next elections. Certain sectors of Mexican journalism have been very incisive in looking for patterns of anomalous behavior in certain businesses involving AMLO's sons. Now, it would be almost undemocratic to prohibit such possibility of running for office just thinking in them, although society should take a close look at the extent to which in these cases there is an organic race to power, with their own merits, and not artificially induced, on steroids. It is precisely society to a certain extent that often ends up validating nepotism in stone.
SourceFollowing Rubio throughout Central America
The head of Foggy Bottom continues to reap freebies in allied lands, and this Thursday it was finally announced the adhesion of the National Culture Palace to the Safe Third Country program, through which Guatemala will serve as a bridge to transfer migrants deported from the United States to their countries of origin. “We have agreed to increase by 40% the number of flights of deported people, both returnees with nationals and deportees of other nationalities,” said Arévalo, son of Juan José Arévalo, recognized as the first president of the democratic era in the Central American country. Arévalo did not have a smooth road to assert his victory in the presidential elections, facing an onslaught from the Guatemalan judiciary, which has been accused of blatant corruption. But he had the firm support of Washington and the world in general, and so he got along well with the blue White House and is doing so with Donald Trump as well. For example, he has not objected to receiving military flights, a point rejected by Mexico and Colombia. The controversial offer of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to receive not only deported Salvadoran and third-country migrants, but also to house even U.S. criminals in his disputed prison system, has made a lot of noise in recent hours.
Bernardo Arévalo and Marco Rubio hug each other at the National Palace of Culture (source).Via X
From Aragua, Venezuela, to Aurora, Colorado 👇.
Immigration raids target alleged Venezuelan gang members in Aurora, Colorado https://t.co/BAE2RAzPGS
February 5, 2025— Reuters Venezuela (@ReutersVzla)
Milei vs. the so-called woke culture 👇. Like Trump.
🇦🇷⚖️ Argentina’s Milei Bans Gender Change Treatments for Minors, Limits Trans Women in Prisons
February 5, 2025— PiQ (@PiQSuite)
Full Story → https://t.co/gLNEt1mQez pic.twitter.com/AAPFt2t6OS
And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
