As Mexico advances plan to dissolve watchdog agencies, critics cry foul | Government News [Video]

An evening vote in Mexico’s Senate to dismantle seven independent government watchdogs has ignited controversy, with the country’s political opposition accusing the governing Morena Party of violating democratic principles.

On Friday, the leader of the right-leaning Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) took to social media to express his outrage.

“The elimination of these autonomous organisations represents a direct attack against the rights of Mexicans and even democracy itself,” Alejandro Moreno Cardenas, the PRI’s president, wrote.

He praised the seven watchdogs as “pillars of transparency and accountability that guaranteed to the people of Mexico access to clear information about the actions of the government”.

His comments came after Mexico’s Senate held a vote on Thursday to fold the seven oversight bodies into existing executive agencies, under Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum and her fellow Morena Party members have described the reform as a chance to cut down on government bureaucracy and reduce spending.

However, critics fear the dissolution of the watchdog agencies will make the government more vulnerable to …