Mexico City: On Thursday, Mexico’s Senate passed a controversial proposal to abolish autonomous bodies responsible for regulating various economic sectors and ensuring government transparency. The reform has sparked fierce opposition from critics, including lawmakers and industry representatives.
The measure passed with 86 votes in favor and 42 against in the Senate’s general vote, with a similar result for the vote on specific terms. The proposal had already passed in the lower house the previous week.
If enacted, the reform would eliminate key autonomous agencies, including the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece), the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH), and the National Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection (INAI). These functions would be absorbed by other government bodies, including the national statistics office, the electoral authority, and various government ministries.
Oscar Canton, head of the Senate constitutional committee and a member of the ruling Morena party, defended the proposal, calling it a step toward a more efficient and austere government focused on the needs of the people.
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This reform is part of a broader set of constitutional changes presented in February by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and supported by current President Claudia Sheinbaum. The aim is to streamline government operations and reduce public spending by centralizing the state apparatus.
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However, opposition lawmakers and analysts have voiced strong concerns. They argue that the reform undermines democracy and could lead to a lack of accountability, allowing government wrongdoing to go unchecked. “Morena and their allies are looking for total opacity, the elimination of any counterweight to the power they covet,” said opposition Senator Agustín Dorantes during the session.
