EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Dozens of demonstrators carrying banners and signs on Tuesday morning blocked passenger vehicle traffic on the Juarez, Mexico, side of the Bridge of the Americas. A smaller contingent held a similar protest at the Paso del Norte Bridge but did not block traffic.
The protests began around 8 a.m. Demonstrators and Mexico’s National Guard reached an agreement to lift the blockade at BOTA and let motorists cross into the U.S. shortly before 11 a.m.
Videos taken by a Border Report camera crew show people identifying themselves as employees of the Mexican judiciary system standing in front of traffic, waving flags and denouncing a recently ratified constitutional amendment to elect judges by popular vote.
The demonstrators said this will erode the separation of powers as most new judges are likely to be sympathizers of the ruling Morena Party, and thus go along with any presidential executive order or laws passed by the Morena-controlled Congress.
The protest comes two days after President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly said she would not negotiate with those opposed to the amendment and called on judicial workers to accept the new reality.
The Mexican government “is trying to make people abroad believe that all is well with judicial reform, but it is not. That is why we are here,” said demonstrator Diana Hernandez. “We understand people in Juarez may be upset (with the protest), but we want to be heard.”
(ProVideo in Juarez, Mexico, contributed to this report.)