Mexico moves towards the rule of law

Several civil society organizations have presented several writs of amparo against the construction of an airport in the Santa Lucía military air base and preserve the construction at the canceled Mexico's New International Airport (NAIM) in Texcoco . This situation has made the existence of counterweights in the country evident and it also highlights the importance of the Judiciary so that the country moves towards an absolute rule of law .

In total, 147 writs of amparo were filed, 7 have been approved: four provisional amparos and four definitive amparos. So far, the most important one was issued yesterday and dictates that the Santa Lucía airport can't be built until the authorities present environmental and security permits , an aviation viability study , an archeology preservation project , as well as social, political, and inter-institutional viability strategies . The writ of amparo also forces authorities to desist from any order to “destroy, disappear, dismantle, demolish, flood, or any other way to modify the existing (construction)” in Texcoco .

The groups behind these legal actions are making use of a right established in the Constitution , which grants the citizen the possibility to file a writ of amparo against government actions. If the tasks linked to the two projects had been carried out following the laws , the Judiciary wouldn't have ruled in favor of the plaintiffs .

Violating the rule of law had had a high price for the country. From the loss of investors because the country doesn't offer security assurances to national and international companies , to increasing insecurity , since the criminal groups know that they there is a scarce possibility of being held accountable for their crimes and because they know that money could buy their freedom.

After December 1, there were forecasts that claimed the Executive Branch would dominate the other powers but the results obtained in the Santa Lucía and Texcoco cases show that there are restrictions to halt actions that don't comply with the law .

Mexico

is on the search for the rigorous implementation of the rule of law. If all the powers abide by the law , the country will reach its goal and the Judiciary will be key during this process.

Mexican Tribunal halts the construction of the Santa Lucía Airport

gm