Overview
- Lawmakers have proposed amending articles 82, 116 and 122 of the Constitution to bar anyone who holds or acquires another nationality from serving as President, a governor or Mexico City’s head unless they renounce the other nationality before registering as a candidate.
- The draft would also forbid officeholders from using foreign passports or identity documents, exercising political rights tied to another citizenship or seeking diplomatic protection from another state while in office.
- Proponents justify the measure on proportionality grounds, arguing higher executive responsibility warrants stricter eligibility to avoid conflicts created by competing legal ties.
- Scholars and local experts warn the rule could disproportionately affect border communities where dual nationality often stems from birth and family ties, and they note Mexico cannot force other countries to cancel a person’s foreign citizenship.
- Legal commentators point out practical obstacles from foreign-law controls over loss of citizenship and said lawmakers must clarify distinctions between birthright dual nationality and voluntary naturalization before any change can be implemented.