Supreme Court Vote on LIE Does Not Consider Lithium: AMLO

President López Obrador stressed that regardless of wether the Supreme Court (SCJN) declared that even though the vote on the constitutionality of the Electricity Industry Law (LIE) does not consider the nationalization of lithium, the result will be key to determine who will vote in favor of the energy reform, which will allow MORENA, the president's party, to define its next move. “It will help us a lot to know which side the [Supreme Court] Ministers are on. We are living in very important times regarding public life, so it is imperative that we pay attention to this vote. We need to ensure the future of Mexico by strengthening CFE and taking lithium out of the hands of private companies,” he said.

This week, the SCJN will analyze the three constitutional challenges filed against the LIE. The proceedings were initiated by the Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE), the government of Colima and opposition parliamentarians, who alleged that the bill violates the principles of free markets, the right to a healthy environment and, in the case of COFECE, an invasion to its constitutional powers to protect free competition in the market.

The LIE was the preamble of López Obrador’s constitutional energy reform, which is now being discussed in Congress. The bill’s suspension via amparos was the main reason why the president moved on toward a more ambitious regulatory change.

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