International
López Obrador criticizes Supreme Court president
March 2nd |
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Wednesday questioned the president of the Supreme Court of Justice for defending the autonomy of judges and affirmed that after she took office at the beginning of the year, “a wave of decisions in favor of alleged criminals” was unleashed.
In a veiled threat to the separation of powers, López Obrador reiterated his criticism of the Judicial Power and expressed his differences with the president of the highest court, Norma Piña, who last month advocated for judicial independence.
The president has already attacked independent regulatory agencies and cut funds to the National Electoral Institute, which has sparked intense debate in the country and questioning from the media, which has become a target in his morning conferences, and more recently from the U.S. State Department.
“Now that the new minister has arrived, she declares in an extreme formalism, as if the judges were all-powerful, that they are autonomous, that they can do whatever they want, and as soon as the new president arrived, a wave of resolutions in favor of alleged criminals is unleashed”, said the president during his morning conference.
López Obrador harshly criticized the Council of the Federal Judiciary, which he called a “flower vase” for not exercising its function of investigating judges and affirmed that during the administration of Minister Arturo Zaldívar, who preceded Piña as president of the Supreme Court, “there was a little more vigilance towards judges”.
Sergio Méndez, lawyer of the civil organization Fundación para la Justicia, which defends the Rule of Law and supports victims of human rights violations, considered the governor’s pronouncement “wrong” and affirmed that his remarks can be assumed as a “form of pressure on the Judicial Power” that affects its independence.
“It is necessary to channel the disagreements in an institutional manner”, said Méndez, stating that it is delicate that the president generalizes with “vague” statements and added that a careful analysis should be made to know what led a judge to decide in a certain case and to evaluate the performance of the Prosecutor’s Office, because sometimes there are failures in the formulation of the accusations and in the evidence.
In January, a few days after Piña became the first woman to become president of the Supreme Court, López Obrador expressed his first disagreements with the minister by stating that with her arrival to the highest court “unfortunately” a reform of the Judicial Branch would not be possible and that she “has always voted against the initiatives that we have defended”.
The Mexican Supreme Court of Justice has been hit in the last months by the scandal generated after the report of the alleged plagiarism of the graduate thesis of Minister Yasmín Esquivel, pointed out as being close to López Obrador and who applied to head the highest court.
A committee of the Facultad de Estudios Superiores Aragón of Mexico’s Universidad Nacional Autónoma (UNAM) determined in January that Esquivel’s 1987 thesis was a “substantial copy” of another submitted in 1986, but the school indicated that it had no rules that would allow it to withdraw her degree or professional license. Following this pronouncement, UNAM left the minister’s case in the hands of an Ethics Committee to consider possible further action.
A court in the Mexican capital agreed the day before to a precautionary measure of “definitive suspension” that prevents the UNAM Ethics Committee from issuing a resolution on Esquivel’s case until the amparo requested by the minister is resolved.
Recently, an investigation by the newspaper El País revealed that the minister had also plagiarized her doctoral thesis, but the university where she obtained that degree ruled out investigating the complaint.
In 2021, López Obrador promoted a reform of the Judicial Branch that extended the term of office of Zaldívar and the members of the Federal Judiciary Council for two years, but the change did not prosper because it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court itself.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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