Mexico's Senate Votes 86-42 to Eliminate INAI, IFT, Cofece, and Four Other Autonomous Agencies

Nov 28, 2024, 09:57 PM

Mexico's Senate has approved a contentious constitutional reform with 86 votes in favor and 42 against, backed by Morena and its allies, that will eliminate seven autonomous government agencies, including the National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI), the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), and the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece). The reform was approved in Senate commissions with 25 votes in favor and 11 against. The functions of these agencies will be transferred to various branches of the executive government, with the IFT and Cofece being fused into a single regulatory body. The move has sparked protests from civil organizations outside the Senate, and opposition legislators have criticized the arguments for the reform as fallacious and prejudiced. The INAI has called on the Senate to reconsider the proposal. The reform now awaits approval from local legislatures.