Should we vote for all judges?

The Indicator from Planet Money

NPR

Business

4.7 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mexico is gearing up to directly elect federal and state judges for the first time this June. President Claudia Sheinbaum says the new system will combat nepotism and increase the integrity of the courts. But critics see it as a naked attempt to dilute the court's independence. Today on the show, how Mexico's judicial reforms are creating angst for businesses at home and abroad.

Related episodes:
SCOTUS: De-facto pro-business?

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Fact-checking by Cooper Katz-McKim. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	NPR.
0:02.0	Over the last few years, we've heard a lot about investment in manufacturing booming in Mexico.
0:18.5	This was a big deal a couple of years ago when the country became the United
0:22.1	States number one trading partner. Banks and credit rating agencies are now warning that Mexico's
0:29.0	growth could be in jeopardy. And it's not just because of the ongoing trade war. They're pointing
0:35.2	to judicial reform. Joining us today to talk about those reforms is our
0:40.8	researcher and fact checker Sierra Juarez. Nice to have you on this side of the mic. Thank you, Darian.
0:45.8	It's so nice to be here. So starting this year, every single judge in Mexico, both local and federal,
0:53.0	will be elected by the people instead of appointed.
0:56.0	Yasmin Robles-Cortez is one of those judges, and she says the changes are going to be challenging.
1:03.7	We aren't politicians. We aren't trained for that.
1:08.2	Today on the show, the debate over judicial reform in Mexico.
1:12.5	Why is it happening now?
1:14.0	What could the consequences be?
1:15.6	And how uncertainty over this big change is creating an unsettling business environment in Mexico
1:21.1	and potentially threatening its commercial relationship with the U.S.
1:29.3	This message comes from MintMobile.
1:31.3	If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks,
1:36.8	MintMobile might be right for you with plans starting from $15 a month.
1:40.5	Shop plans today at mintmobile.com slash switch.
1:43.8	Upfront payment of $45 for three month
1:46.2	five-gigabyte plan required. New customer offer for first three months only. Then full price
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 0 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.