Antonio Navalón
Where before everything was right, wisdom and intelligence, suddenly, when the bells of the change of cycle ring, when one begins to perceive that, even if one wins, one may lose, everything becomes a catastrophe, a mistake, and one becomes aware of the miscalculation of how things should have been done. The same thing happens in every change of regime. Every presidential election is a clean slate in all relatively stable countries – as ours is supposed to be. It is as if the thread of continuity was broken overnight, and the government began to work on the path of self-will. Given our mental, social, and psychological structure, each President inaugurates a new way of doing things and exercising power.
At this point of the road, I am astonished to see so many errors on the front pages of the newspapers as, for example, is the case of the issues and dilemmas – to call them in a way – that the 4T has had and continues to have with the Judiciary. I am surprised that there are cases that, even though 4 or 5 years have passed since they first came to light, now is the time when the tension between the Executive and the Judicial Branches is being magnified and highlighted the most. As for the Legislative Branch, this type of dispute has not occurred since – besides the fact that Morena had the absolute majority during the first three years of López Obrador’s government and despite having lost it in 2021 – there were few occasions in which there was enough counterweight to stop the President’s designs and desires.
At this moment, a series of events are taking place that, without a doubt, are having or will have a tremendous political impact. Before the cascade began, when an exhaustive investigation was organized as the one ordered by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation and which ended up occupying the front pages of the newspapers – the opposition indeed promoted it – it gave the impression that, although it was known and within the normality of the abuses of power, there were sufficient counterweights to avoid extraordinary situations. Now, everything is uncertain, and it is still impossible to precisely decipher the panorama and the problem that the powers and the country will face after what happens on June 2.
Everyone knows that the speed of ascent is not the same as that of fall. The law of gravity, described so brilliantly and simply by Isaac Newton, establishes that adding factors that produce a cascade effect can increase the acquired speed. This leads us to a higher reflection that, beyond suspicion, will there come a point when those ultimately responsible pay for the deviations and abuses of power perpetrated? Beyond journalism techniques and public exposure of the facts, will there be a power or instance solid and capable enough to reinstate the limits of power?
We have reached a point where it is essential to question ourselves and analyze the political future that awaits those who, with name and surname, protect and appear – regardless of whether they are or not – as those primarily responsible for this abuse and deviation of power. A practice that is exemplified and personalized under the fact of maintaining the judges of the courts but that, in the end, dictate the sentences in other offices.
The next President of Mexico – since, at this point, it can be affirmed that only a woman can carry the presidential sash after the next elections – will have the job not only of rebuilding the relationship but also of rebuilding the balance among the three branches of the nation’s power. For the time being, the only ones who will have things to investigate from this time in the new era will be the representatives of the Judiciary. That is why it is essential to know what they are going to play and what they will want to impose on the governmental bodies and on us as a society.
One of the big questions arising in this final stretch of President López Obrador’s administration is: will there be punishment for the crimes committed during these last six years? In addition, and this is the most important, every experience leaves us with the lesson that if power corrupts…absolute power corrupts completely. That said, the new powers must know and be aware of what they should not do, of the limits that cannot be crossed, and not to put their interests above the common interest.
Everything done up to this moment may have been to comply or try to comply with a significant plan devised years ago by the occupant of the National Palace. Although, of course, on many occasions – with few exceptions – that plan has not been to remedy or fulfill the true national interests. Whoever is the next President will inevitably be the heir to a myriad of unfulfilled bills and, above all, an ever-growing snowball developing around the lack of trust in the institutions that regulate and set the pace of our day-to-day life.
Everything happening is of utmost importance not only for the daily life of citizens but also to guarantee a sufficiently solid and stable legal structure to ensure and enable future development inside and outside the country. Issues such as the timely payment of the debt, the resolution of pending issues in agreements such as the CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC, and the country’s proactive international participation, among others, are essential to plan and devise Mexico’s future. Without this, even if we have a list of countries and commercial actors -which there are- willing to invest and develop opportunities in our country, it will simply not be possible. The fact is that, with elements as significant as the opportunity that accompanies VUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC and nearshoring, the reality is that today, Mexico is one of the most attractive destinations for investment at a global level. However, and I reiterate, all this suitability could disappear from one moment to the next if the multiple and critical pending issues are not resolved. What is a fact is that we cannot depend on external factors, and we must begin to sort out the internal disaster to avoid a situation in which we are limited in living and rely on national savings and remittances.
Mexico needs a structural rethinking, not only in the relationship between the three powers that rule us but also in how we behave and interact with the outside world. Unfortunately, we have reached a point where the institutions are increasingly questioned. Turning back and repairing the mistakes made is essential to restore faith in their capabilities and actions. We are facing a situation where the best way to attract the outside must begin by creating peace and restructuring the internal approach and system.
What is happening with those who wear the togas is not a show of minorities. The situation and the conflict between the Executive and the Judiciary is extremely delicate and something that, if we do not correct the path, may lead us to a point of no return in which we will hardly be able to ensure the development and future of the country. When it comes to the business of power, justice is much more than an eternally invoked declaration. It is a territory where we must have certainty and security about its due and correct application. Decisive and defining actions are required to achieve a system in which justice works as it should, both in theory and practice. Living with a corrupt justice system borrowed or influenced by those in power would be complicated and even catastrophic. It would be impossible to live without any kind of justice.
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