Mexico city: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has introduced a constitutional reform proposal to Congress, aiming to mandate that individuals seeking the presidency or state governorships renounce any foreign nationality before registering as candidates. This proposal is intended to ensure that holders of Mexico's highest elected offices prioritize national interests and hold exclusively Mexican nationality.

According to Anadolu Agency, the proposal addresses current ambiguities in the Mexican Constitution, which have allowed individuals with dual nationality to hold governorships. The initiative suggests amendments to Articles 82, 116, and 122 of the Constitution. Specifically, the proposed change to Article 82 requires presidential candidates to be Mexican citizens by birth, have at least one Mexican parent, possess no other nationality, or renounce any foreign nationality before seeking candidacy. Additionally, it mandates that presidential candidates must have resided in Mexico for at least 20 years.

The same nationality requirements are proposed for candidates aiming to become state governors or the head of the government of Mexico City. However, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has opposed the initiative, labeling it as discriminatory and a regression in terms of human rights and democratic principles. The PRI contends that dual nationality should not impede the political rights of Mexican citizens, arguing that dual nationals are "as Mexican as everyone else" and rejecting the notion that holding another nationality suggests divided loyalty.

Since a 1997 constitutional reform, Mexico has acknowledged dual nationality for citizens by birth, allowing them to maintain their Mexican nationality upon acquiring another citizenship. Congress will begin considering the initiative on September 1, and it will require constitutional approval before it can be enacted.