For just 70 minutes, travelers from the city of Chihuahua and workers from the Federal Judicial Branch blocked the international Libre bridge, which connects Ciudad Juárez with El Paso, Texas, on Friday morning.
They left on their own and of their own free will, after, they said, fulfilling their mission of making visible to the public the discontent with the changes in the judicial system that will be brought about by the reform in this area, which seeks the direct election of heads of magistrates and courts. On top of the bridge, personnel from the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP, in English) of the United States blocked the passage of the protesters with concrete and razor wire fences, who positioned themselves about 10 meters away from that barrier to extend a white banner with red, black and green letters that read “the National Union of Renewal at the service of the workers of the Federal Judicial Branch.” All dressed in white, they also carried posters with messages that have been seen during these 26 days of demonstrations against the constitutional changes that will modify the structure of the Judicial Council, the way of choosing judges, the disciplinary bodies and the way of administering justice in Mexico. “The scales of justice should NOT be tipped by political pressure,” read a white sign with black letters, as well as “Mexico, wake up, we are your defense,” and other messages accompanied by Mexican flags. Adriana Neri, secretary of the Circuit Court, based in the city of Chihuahua, spoke up to point out that the legislative process that led to the approval of the reform on the night between September 10 and 11 was “tainted from the beginning,” because despite various judicial resolutions suspending the activities of the legislative bodies in relation to the reform, they continued, falling into the crime of contempt. “They violate people’s human rights and the only one who benefits is the government in power,” said the protester. The decision to continue with the next legal steps for the reform to come into force has already been taken by federal deputies and senators, and the majority of the states of the Republic. By Thursday night, 21 states had already approved the reform, while Querétaro and Jalisco rejected it, and Chihuahua complied with the court order to stop the discussion on the matter. Nevertheless, Neri pointed out that the work suspension, in effect since August 19 in most of the country (in Juárez it began on the 21st), will continue “until they finally listen, until they give ears to all those involved in this absurd reform that they never took into account.”
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