Mexico Moves to Bar Presidents from Holding Dual Citizenship

AP

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum.

A constitutional reform in Mexico that would require presidential candidates to renounce any additional citizenship is advancing towards final approval, despite criticism that the measure could restrict political rights and disadvantage potential opposition candidates.

The proposal, which would also apply to state governors and the mayor of Mexico City, has been defended by President Claudia Sheinbaum as a measure intended to protect Mexico from foreign interference.

“Presidents of Mexico can only have one flag, one homeland, one people to defend,” Sheinbaum said during her daily news conference on Wednesday.

Critics of the reform, however, argue that it could create additional barriers for politicians with dual citizenship and affect the political succession of Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party and its allies, several of whose prominent figures hold foreign passports.

The constitutional amendments were approved this week by a majority of Mexico’s 32 state legislatures, following their passage through both chambers of the national Congress. Lawmakers must now issue a formal declaration of constitutionality before the amendments can be published in the official gazette.

Mexico’s current constitution does not explicitly prohibit presidents or state governors from holding dual citizenship. Across Latin America, Cuba and Venezuela are currently the only countries with similar restrictions.

The United States, meanwhile, permits dual citizens to become president, although the issue has previously been politically sensitive. US Senator Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada to an American mother, renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2014 ahead of his 2016 presidential campaign.

Sheinbaum and her administration have presented the proposed citizenship requirement as part of Morena’s broader emphasis on protecting national sovereignty amid increasing pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Critics have questioned both the speed with which the reform has advanced and its political implications ahead of Mexico’s 2030 presidential election.

If approved, the new requirement would apply to prospective candidates from 2028 onwards, meaning it would not affect sitting state governors or candidates contesting the 2027 midterm elections.

Larry Rubin, president of the American Society of Mexico and a dual US-Mexican citizen, has criticised the proposal.

“Having two nationalities does not make anyone less Mexican,” Rubin said. “Do not turn your back on millions of dual nationals, migrants, and binational families.”

Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, Roberto Lazzeri, has defended the proposal, saying it should not be viewed as a referendum on dual citizenship but rather as a specific tightening of eligibility requirements for the country’s highest political offices.

"Holding dual nationality does not make anyone less Mexican," he wrote on social media on Tuesday.

But, he added, "the greater the public responsibility, the greater the obligations toward the country."

Source: Reuters



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