Mexico's Movimiento Ciudadano proposes lowering presidential age to 25

A proposal to lower the minimum age for Mexico's president from 35 to 25 years has been introduced in the Congress of the Union by the Movimiento Ciudadano (MC) party. The party argues that the current requirement, unchanged since the 1917 Constitution, constitutes discrimination against young people and limits their democratic participation.

Laura Ballesteros, a federal deputy for MC, stated that Mexico's political, social, and democratic conditions have evolved significantly since 1917. She questioned whether the 35-year threshold remains a justified restriction, especially since the Constitution grants citizenship at 18 and prohibits age-based discrimination. While acknowledging the need for minimum ages for public office, Ballesteros asserted that such limitations must be objective, reasonable, and proportional.

The initiative emphasizes that age alone does not determine a person's capacity to govern. Attributes like experience, leadership, preparation, and decision-making ability should be evaluated by voters during campaigns, rather than excluding individuals aged 25 to 34 solely based on their age. The party believes this change would expand the right of young people to compete for the nation's highest elected position.

To support its argument, the MC proposal references international precedents. It highlights that Nicaragua requires candidates to be 25, Colombia sets the age at 30, and Chile reduced its requirement from 40 to 35 in 2005, which later enabled Gabriel Boric's election at 35. The proposal also mentions Nigeria's "Not Too Young to Run" reform, which lowered age requirements for various elected offices to boost youth political engagement.