Mexico is on the verge of finalizing a constitutional reform that would require candidates for the presidency, state governorships and the mayoralty of Mexico City to renounce any second citizenship. The change has already won backing from both chambers of Congress and a majority of state legislatures.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the reform is designed to shield the country from foreign influence. “Mexican presidents can have only one flag, one homeland and one people to protect,” she told her daily press briefing.
The current constitution does not explicitly bar the president or governors from holding dual citizenship. The new reform is meant to close that gap.
Critics argue the change would restrict the political rights of people who hold dual citizenship. They also say the ban could end up posing problems for some politicians within the ruling Morena party and its allies.
The reform has already cleared both chambers of Mexico’s Congress and secured approval from a majority of legislatures in the country’s 32 states. Lawmakers must now issue a formal declaration confirming the measure complies with constitutional requirements, after which it will be published in the official gazette and take effect.
