Mexico’s Top Court Invalidates AMLO’s Flagship Works Decree

(Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s Supreme Court invalidated a decree by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador designating some of his flagship public works of national security and public interest.

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Six of the court’s eleven justices voted to reject the decree that allowed government agencies to shield information on certain projects from the public. The court also invalidated a part of the decree that would allow the president to issue provisional licenses as a way to fast-track constructions, marking yet another chapter of the president’s strained relationship with the country’s Supreme Court.

“This decision by the Supreme Court goes to prove the court’s independence going head-on against a decree that was published back in November 2021, which aimed at restricting information and expediting permitting for the administration’s insignia projects,” wrote Bradesco BBI analysts led by Rodolfo Ramos.

The decision comes days after the government seized part of a rail line owned by Grupo Mexico in the south of the country on Friday. The issues are seen as separate, Bradesco added, though this latest court decision is “a good step to ensure transparency in government works.”

The top court’s difficult relationship with the government has grown in recent days after a decree last week defied an earlier decision by the court, which declared unconstitutional a previous attempt to give public works this key status. Critics said such status would make it easier for the government to hide information and prevent it from becoming public, which AMLO has denied.

Read More: AMLO Defies Top Court With Decree on His Flagship Works

The president has previously disagreed with the court over issues including a reform to the electoral process, which the court annulled on May 8.

(Updates with more information on the ruling starting in second graph and analyst quote)

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