Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her administration would propose constitutional reforms aimed at safeguarding Mexico’s sovereignty in response to the US designation of six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, according to AP News.
The move comes amid concerns that the US could use the designations as a pretext for military intervention on Mexican soil, a possibility Mexico firmly rejects.
The Mexican people will not accept under any circumstances interventions, interference or any other act from abroad that could be harmful to the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the nation.
The US designation of eight Latin America-based criminal organisations, including six Mexican cartels, was published in the US Federal Register on Thursday, following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on January 20. The designation, typically reserved for groups with political rather than economic objectives, is intended to increase pressure on the cartels.
However, the move has raised fears in Mexico that it could pave the way for unilateral US military action against the cartels, a scenario Sheinbaum’s administration strongly opposes.
Proposed constitutional reforms
Sheinbaum outlined plans to enshrine in Mexico’s constitution existing legal limits on the operations of foreign agents within the country. The limits, introduced by her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, require foreign agents to inform Mexican authorities of their activities and restrict their independence.
What we want to make clear in the face of this designation is that we do not negotiate sovereignty. This cannot be an opportunity for the United States to invade our sovereignty.
In addition, the proposed reforms would impose the most severe penalties available under Mexican law on foreigners involved in the construction, smuggling, and distribution of firearms. Mexico has long criticized the US for failing to curb the flow of guns from American gun shops and manufacturers into Mexico, which fuels cartel violence.
Sheinbaum’s Morena party and its allies hold majorities in both chambers of Mexico’s Congress, giving her administration a strong chance of passing the proposed constitutional reforms.
The move reflects Mexico’s determination to assert its sovereignty and resist external interference, even as it continues to grapple with the challenges posed by organised crime.
