Michoacán Governor Condemns Removal of Electoral Councilors as 'Arbitrary and Disproportionate'

Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla has strongly criticized the National Electoral Institute's (INE) decision to remove five councilors from the Michoacán Electoral Institute (IEM), labeling the move "arbitrary, disproportionate, and centralist."

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arbitrary, disproportionate, and centralist

The governor warned that this action places the institutional stability of the 2026-2027 electoral process in jeopardy. He also expressed concern that it compromises the IEM's ability to oversee the self-governance processes of indigenous communities within the state, which Michoacán is noted for.

Ramírez Bedolla asserted that the INE's resolution creates significant uncertainty during a critical period for Michoacán's democratic life. He highlighted that weakening the IEM leaves the body responsible for organizing elections for municipal presidencies, the state congress, and the governorship without sufficient integration.

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This is an arbitrary determination that puts Michoacán's political and democratic stability at risk. Less than three months before the formal start of the electoral process, the INE decides to weaken the local electoral body, creating uncertainty where there should be certainty.

"This is an arbitrary determination that puts Michoacán's political and democratic stability at risk. Less than three months before the formal start of the electoral process, the INE decides to weaken the local electoral body, creating uncertainty where there should be certainty," Ramírez Bedolla stated. He argued that the INE's decision constitutes an interference that directly affects the constitutional autonomy of local electoral institutions and disregards the unique democratic mechanisms developed in Michoacán, particularly concerning indigenous rights.

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Weakening the IEM at this moment also means jeopardizing the institutional attention to these community processes.

The governor questioned the timing and nature of the decision, emphasizing that Michoacán's citizens need strong institutions, not weakened ones dismantled by decisions made from the country's center without considering the consequences. He concluded that democracy is strengthened by solid institutions, not by dismantling them shortly before an election.

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Michoacán's citizens demand strong institutions, not weakened bodies dismantled by decisions made from the center of the country without valuing the consequences they will have in the entity. Democracy is strengthened with solid institutions, not by dismantling them months before an election.