Mexican president proposes ban on dual nationals seeking presidency, governorships

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a constitutional reform proposal to Congress Thursday that would require people seeking the presidency and state governorships to renounce any other nationality before registering as candidates.

The proposal seeks to ensure that holders of the country's top elected offices have only Mexican nationality and put Mexico's national interests first.

Currently, Sheinbaum said, the Constitution is unclear—and there have been governors with dual nationality—that they must renounce any other nationality before becoming a candidate

The initiative proposes amendments to Articles 82, 116 and 122 of the Constitution.

The proposed amendment to Article 82 says presidential candidates must be Mexican citizens by birth, have a Mexican father or mother, hold no other nationality and, if they do, renounce it before requesting registration as a candidate. It also requires presidential candidates to have lived in Mexico for at least 20 years.

The same nationality requirement would apply to candidates for state governor and head of the government of Mexico City.

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) rejected the initiative, calling it discriminatory and a setback for human rights and democracy.

The PRI argued that dual nationality is a right and should not be grounds for restricting the political rights of Mexican citizens. The party also rejected the argument that holding another nationality implies divided loyalty.

The PRI said Mexicans with dual nationality are "as Mexican as everyone else" and said its lawmakers would vote against the initiative.

Mexico has recognized dual nationality for Mexican citizens by birth since a 1997 constitutional reform, allowing them to retain Mexican nationality after acquiring another citizenship.

The initiative will be considered by Congress starting Sept. 1 and would require constitutional approval before taking effect.