( Spanish) – The Chamber of Senators of Mexico approved this Thursday the constitutional reform that eliminates seven autonomous bodies, including the National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI), the Senate reported in a statement.
The initiative was endorsed by qualified majority in general by the ruling Morena party and its allies, the Labor (PT) and Green Ecologist (PVEM) parties, with 86 votes in favor and 42 against. The reform was also approved in particular with 86 votes in favor and 40 against.
On November 21, the amendment had been approved in the Chamber of Deputies, with the votes of the ruling party and allies, by a qualified majority.
The modifications proposed by this reform affect 14 constitutional articles that establish that the functions of these autonomous entities will pass to other agencies, newly created, or already existing within the public administration.
In addition to the disappearance of the INAI, the opinion approved in the Chamber of Deputies supports the elimination of the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece), the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), the National Council for Political Evaluation of Social Development (Coneval) , the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), the National Hydrocarbons Commission and the National Commission for the Continuous Improvement of Education (Mejoredu).
The initiative to eliminate these bodies was promoted by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador before the end of his six-year term, under the argument that the spending they generate is excessive and their functions can be transferred to other government areas.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated on November 21 that the disappearance of the INAI will mean “more transparency” and “there will be no more corruption,” since the functions of the organization will pass to the Anti-Corruption Secretariat and “personal data will be guard”.
The autonomous organizations that the reform eliminates were in charge of measuring poverty, monitoring the quality of education, protecting personal data, promoting competition between companies and taking advantage of the energy resources in the country, among other functions.
Among the positions of the senators in the debate on this reform, that of the official stood out Javier Corral, who voted against the constitutional amendment. The legislator explained that he had promoted the creation of the National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) and the Federal Telecommunications Commission (Cofetel) and wanted to be consistent.
“I am aware that my position will provoke some criticism of radical positions, but my adherence to the transformation project does not represent a renunciation of my principles and my values,” Corral expressed in a message published on his account on the social network X.
Senator Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, from the opposition Citizen Movement, stressed the importance of the organizations that the reform eliminates and the role they play in the democratic life of the country.
“Autonomous organizations are not a concession from the Government, they are not a concession from the State, they are an achievement of citizens, they are the result of years of struggle to build counterweights that guarantee impartiality, transparency and effectiveness in strategic areas of the country,” he said. in his intervention in the debate.
Meanwhile, Miguel Pavel Jarero Velázquez, from the ruling Morena party, stated that this amendment seeks to transfer the functions of the autonomous and regulatory bodies to the Federal Public Administration, so that there is greater efficiency, transparency and accountability. He also pointed out that the rights of the workers who work in these institutions are not at risk.
The extinction of the INAI has generated special controversy since its functions consist of guaranteeing the transparency and accountability of government institutions.
Amnesty International also commented on the approval of the reform. “This measure affects transparency, puts privacy at risk and makes access to impartial and quality public information difficult,” said the human rights organization in a message published in X.
After its approval in general and in particular, the constitutional amendment was sent to the state legislatures for their consideration. The reform must be approved by at least 17 of the 32 state congresses for its promulgation in the Official Gazette of the Federation and its eventual implementation.
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