Mexico’s President pauses relations with embassies of the U.S. and Canada

JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIa) -- Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said during a news conference he will "pause" the relations Mexico has with the U.S. and Canada Embassies after their ambassadors criticized his proposal to have judges elected by popular vote.

According to CNN, López Obrador announced the move during his daily press conference on Tuesday, saying the “pause” is with the embassies and not the countries. He said relations will be reestablished once the diplomats are “respectful of the independence of Mexico, of the sovereignty of our country.”

AMLO's proposal for judicial reform is part of a series of constitutional changes he has sought since he got in office.

These changes have to be approved, this week a congressional committee approved this proposal and now it requires two-thirds approval in both chambers of the Mexican Congress.

US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said last Thursday on social media that he believes a “popular direct election of judges is a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy.” Salazar stressed that judicial reforms should ensure the judiciary would be strengthened and not “subject to the corruption of politics.”

ABC-7 has reached out to local political experts to learn how this decision could impact the relationships between the three countries.