Mining Committees in the Senate Go Into Permanent Session

The Joint Committees on Mining and Regional Development and Legislative Studies have gone into a permanent session to discuss the Mining, National Water, Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection, as well as the General Law for the Prevention and Integral Management of Waste. Through the reforms, the government hopes to, among other reasons,  reduce the terms of mining concessions and toughen conditions for granting them.

As the ordinary session of the Senate draws to a close, legislators are working hard to address pending issues as only two further sessions are scheduled for this week. However, a recess was approved by a majority vote and a new call will be made in the coming hours to continue the discussion.

Miguel Ángel Mancera, Coordinator, the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), an opposition party, highlighted several legislative deficiencies in the drafting and structure of the laws.

“The Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that this is an empty law, and any authority can arbitrarily interpret an open-ended sanction to be handed out," he stressed.

PAN Senator Damián Zepeda said it was irresponsible for lawmakers to rush the approval of a bill they had just received for analysis and discussion.

“The simple majority will always be there, that is not in doubt, but we can do serious and professional work and listen. I understand that they will vote for it now. Nevertheless, beyond political leanings, we are another power and this is improper treatment [of laws],” he said.

Subsequently, Morena Senator and mining leader Napoleón Gómez Urrutia interrupted the PAN member to reject his statements, prompting the presidents of the joint committees to intervene and call for order: “This is not a dialogue,” they said. Furthermore, Gómez Urrutia said that the law had not been modified in 31 years, adding weight to the reform.

Noé Castañón, Senator, Citizen’s Movement (MC) commented that although his fellow deputies had approved the laws, the Senate was hesitant. He therefore insisted that an open parliament should be held to correct the deficiencies.

Green Party Senator Raúl Bolaños said that “I believe that such an important bill, on such a transcendental topic, requires a little more analysis and I am not saying that we should go to the next legislative period, but simply imply we should not do it in such a rushed way.” Moreover, he called for the committee presidents to declare a recess and a permanent commission to build the bill.