Mexico’s Senate has passed a constitutional amendment to include “foreign interference” as grounds for annulling election results in the country, according to The Guardian. The bill was introduced by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who defines foreign interference as “illicit financing, propaganda, the systematic dissemination of misinformation, digital manipulation, and the intervention of foreign governments or agencies.”

Opposition Criticizes Broad Language

Critics argue the bill’s language is overly broad and could allow the government to annul election results on a wide range of bases. Arturo Sarukhan. A former Mexican ambassador to the U.S., called the legislation “one of the most egregious, alarming and retrograde pieces of legislation in Mexico’s young democratic history” on X. He added that the law does not prevent foreign interference but instead grants the government a veto over election outcomes it does not like.

Bill Moves Toward Ratification

The amendment has already been passed by the lower house of Congress and now requires ratification by a majority of Mexico’s 34 states; President Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party controls 24 of these statehouses, giving it a strong chance of approval. The bill was introduced amid heightened U.S. pressure on Mexico regarding security issues, with U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to invade the country and tackle cartels.

Earlier this month, the U.S. justice department indicted 10 current and former officials from the state of Sinaloa—including the governor—for ties to a powerful drug-trafficking group. The indictment of Rubén Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa and a close ally of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (known as Amlo), sent shock waves across Mexico’s political establishment. Sheinbaum has called for more evidence from the U.S. before considering extradition.

Emphasis on Sovereignty and Non-Intervention

President Sheinbaum has doubled down on the importance of sovereignty and non-intervention since the indictment was made public. “All Mexicans should agree that there should be no foreign interference in elections in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said at a news conference on Thursday. “We must all agree that in Mexico, we Mexicans decide who governs us.”

The bill comes as Mexico faces midterm elections next year, which could see the governing Morena party lose its stranglehold on power. The party currently controls the presidency and both the upper and lower chambers of Congress. Under the bill, Mexico’s electoral court could toss out election results if it determines there was interference from an overseas organization, a foreign government, or citizen. However, the court was stripped of its independence under former president Amlo and is now largely aligned with Morena.

Political analyst Carlos Bravo Regidor expressed concerns that “if [Morena] wanted, they could allege foreign intervention and the court would rule in their favor.” He added, “The truth is, I don’t see any point in [the bill], any merit, any validity. This is an abuse.”

Opposition leaders have also voiced strong criticisms. Ricardo Anaya, a senator from the opposition Pan party, told reporters, “It’s a trap so that Morena can literally annul any election they want. What they want to ensure is total control.”

The bill’s potential for abuse has drawn widespread concern. Critics fear it could be used to justify the annulment of election results for virtually any reason, including an article in a British newspaper, a statement from a U.S. official, or a report from an international NGO.