Mexico is moving to prohibit people with dual citizenship from running for president under a constitutional reform that has already secured approval from both chambers of Congress and a majority of the country’s 32 state legislatures.
The reform, backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party, would also apply to state governors and the mayor of Mexico City. It must still receive a formal declaration of constitutionality before being published in Mexico’s official gazette.
If enacted, the new requirement would take effect in 2028, meaning it would not affect governors currently in office or candidates contesting Mexico’s 2027 midterm elections.
Sheinbaum has defended the measure as a safeguard for Mexico’s sovereignty and against foreign interference. Speaking at her daily news conference, she said: “Presidents of Mexico can only have one flag, one homeland, one people to defend.”
The proposal has drawn criticism from opponents who argue that it creates additional barriers for politicians with dual nationality and could affect succession within Morena and allied parties, where some political figures hold foreign passports.
The reform has also become linked to the political ambitions of billionaire Ricardo Salinas, a prominent critic of the Sheinbaum administration who has previously hinted at a possible presidential bid. Salinas has argued that the proposal was designed to prevent him from running questioning whether the government was prepared to disadvantage millions of Mexicans who had migrated abroad in an effort to block a political rival.
Mexico’s current constitution does not expressly prevent presidents or governors from holding dual citizenship but the latest reform comes ahead of Mexico’s 2030 presidential election, although its implementation from 2028 means it would not affect the 2027 midterms.
