The constitutional reform seeks to safeguard national security and independence in the face of geopolitical pressures.
On Wednesday, after nearly 11 hours of debate, Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies approved a bill to amend Articles 82, 116 and 122 of the Mexican Constitution.
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Promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum, the bill prohibits dual nationality for those seeking the presidency of the republic, state governorships, and the head of government of Mexico City.
The decision was backed by the qualified majority of the governing coalition, with 334 votes from lawmakers belonging to the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), Labor Party (PT) and Ecologist Green Party (PVEM).
The bill was rejected by 109 opposition votes from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), National Action Party (PAN) and Citizens’ Movement (MC). One lawmaker abstained.
The constitutional reform was sent to the Senate to continue its legislative process. Spokespeople for the majority coalition defended the amendment as an essential measure to safeguard national security and independence in the face of geopolitical pressures.
Abelardo de la Espriella tiene nacionalidad colombiana, estadounidense e italiana.
Vivió en Miami y defendió narcotraficantes. Según The New York Times, él mismo fue examinado por autoridades federales de EE.UU. en pesquisas relacionadas con esos círculos.
Es uno de los… https://t.co/cDd69bzgFp
— Arlin Medrano (@arlinmedrano_) September 9, 2026
The text reads, “Abelardo de la Espriella holds Colombian, U.S., and Italian citizenship. He lived in Miami and represented drug traffickers. According to The New York Times, he was himself scrutinized by U.S. federal authorities during investigations linked to those circles. He serves as an example of how the U.S. operates to intervene in Latin America, illustrating the conflicts of interest that arise when an individual ascends to power while maintaining significant legal, financial, business, or political ties to another state. De la Espriella’s case highlights the responsibility of lawmakers to debate Claudia Sheinbaum’s proposal to bar governors and presidents from holding dual citizenship.”
Ricardo Monreal, the Morena caucus coordinator, argued that the coexistence of two nationalities creates a direct conflict of political commitments when making strategic decisions.
The reform does not seek to negatively characterize binational status or violate the rights of the migrant community, but rather to “carefully regulate” access to the leadership of state and federal executive branches to prevent foreign interference in domestic politics, he explained.
Voluntarily renouncing a second nationality constitutes a legitimate condition for those seeking to lead the Mexican state, Morena lawmakers said, describing opposition lawmakers as “traitorous” and subordinate to U.S. interests.
For their part, opposition parties lashed out at the bill and questioned both its legal viability. PAN coordinator Elias Lixa warned about the complexity of the procedures for renouncing nationality abroad.
He stressed that renouncing citizenship is not an automatic process in the United States or in countries such as Ecuador or Argentina, whose legal frameworks do not provide for such a possibility. Therefore, renouncing a second nationality could result in the de facto disqualification of candidates if authorities in other countries delay their decisions.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: teleSUR – Camara de Diputados
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