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Mexico’s Lower House Panel Seals INE Selection Files for Five Years

The move sets up a transparency clash that could shape trust in Mexico’s election referee.

Overview

  • The Chamber of Deputies’ Transparency Committee, meeting Friday in private, voted to keep all records from the recent selection of three INE councilors under seal for five years.
  • The decision, requested by the chamber’s coordination board, cites national security and covers files for 369 candidates including applications, exams, essays, scores, and deliberation records.
  • Chamber president Kenia López Rabadán opposed the reserve and urged release of public versions that remove personal data.
  • The three appointees — Arturo Chávez, Blanca Cruz, and Frida Gómez — won approval on April 22 with votes from Morena, PT, and PVEM, while opposition parties voted against.
  • Critics say evaluators hid key materials throughout the process and report that a court order to include an affirmative‑action candidate in each shortlist was met in only two lists, raising questions about compliance and legitimacy.