Mexico's transparency decree sparks controversy over 'national security' loophole

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has introduced a new decree intended to bolster transparency within the federal government, promising greater public access to information such as contracts, financial data of state-owned companies like Pemex and CFE, and audit reports.

The announcement, made on August 4, was accompanied by Secretary of Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Raquel Buenrostro and Legal Counsel of the Presidency Luisa María Alcalde. Sheinbaum stated that there should be no room for unexplained wealth or abuses of power by officials.

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national security must be invoked only as a justified exception

However, the decree has already sparked controversy. Politicians, journalists, and analysts have raised concerns that the broad invocation of "national security" could be used to shield inconvenient information, contracts, and decisions from public scrutiny. They argue that the concept is often exploited to conceal information from the public.

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The rule must be to open information, because withholding it, without a doubt, must be an exception and, by the way, an exception that is founded and fully justified.

Kenia López Rabadán, president of the Chamber of Deputies' board, emphasized that transparency and accountability must apply universally. She specifically called for "national security" to be invoked only as a well-founded and justified exception, not as an automatic barrier to information. She stressed that opening information should be the rule, with its reservation being the exception.

Critics contend that opacity and a lack of transparency create fertile ground for corruption, illicit enrichment, and abuse of power. They insist that citizens must be able to understand how public decisions are made and how their taxes are utilized.

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Opacity and lack of transparency create terrible spaces for corruption, illicit enrichment, and abuse of power.