Background on the Issue and Key Figures
Extortion, a serious crime with significant impacts on both victims and the Mexican state, has evolved alongside new technologies and is closely linked to organized crime activities. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the President of Mexico, recognized this issue and presented an initiative on July 10th to equip the Congress with constitutional powers necessary for creating legislation addressing this problem.
The Proposed Reform
The approved reform, passed with 37 votes in favor, empowers Congress to establish a general law and penal types along with corresponding sanctions for those committing extortion. This initiative aligns with the National Development Plan 2025-2030, which identifies extortion as a high-impact crime due to its severe repercussions on victims and the Mexican state.
Key Aspects of the Reform
- Unification: The reform aims to unify and cover aspects such as the penal type of extortion, its aggravating factors, related offenses, and sanctions.
- Objectives: The reform ensures that the general objectives of prevention, investigation, and effective attention mechanisms for victims, offended parties, and witnesses are met.
- Transitional Provisions: The Congress of the Union must enact a general law within 180 days after the reform’s entry into force. Existing federal and state legal provisions on extortion will remain in effect until the general law is enacted.
Discussion and Support for the Reform
During discussions, Diputado Leonel Godoy (Morena) highlighted the importance of reviewing burden of proof requirements for those currently being accused. Diputada Clara Cárdenas Galván (Morena) emphasized that extortion is classified as a high-impact crime, with official reports indicating 5,887 victims in the first quarter of 2025—an 87% increase over a decade.
Diputado Rubén Moreira (PRI) stressed the widespread nature of extortion, affecting various regions and requiring a comprehensive legislative response to address citizens’ concerns. He called for gathering insights from state governments, prosecutors, legal experts, and legislators to analyze the delictual phenomenon from all angles, including remote extortion, penalties, extortion against municipal authorities, and support for states and the federal government.
Next Steps
The approved reform has been forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary session, set to begin on September 1st. The reform aims to tackle extortion effectively by unifying penal types, sanctions, and addressing the crime’s multifaceted nature.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main objective of this reform? The primary goal is to equip Congress with constitutional powers necessary for creating legislation addressing extortion, a high-impact crime with severe repercussions on victims and the Mexican state.
- What does this reform aim to achieve? The reform seeks to unify and cover aspects such as the penal type of extortion, its aggravating factors, related offenses, and sanctions while ensuring prevention, investigation, and effective attention mechanisms for victims, offended parties, and witnesses.
- What are the transitional provisions of this reform? The Congress of the Union must enact a general law within 180 days after the reform’s entry into force. Existing federal and state legal provisions on extortion will remain in effect until the general law is enacted.
