What is the reform about?
The modification was proposed by President Claudia Sheinbaum. This reform is article 73 of the Constitution and is carried out in order to prevent, investigate and sanction the crime of extortion and establish effective mechanisms for the attention to victims, offended and witnesses.
The reform indicates that the modification is for the Congress to be provided with the union of the constitutional powers necessary to issue general legislation, in which at least the homogenization of the criminal type and its penalties regarding extortion is established.
In addition, it argues that with this constitutional change a general law will be issued in which extortion is prevented in the three government orders, develop collaboration mechanisms between public security institutions, the use of technology and computer intelligence systems is privileged.
Extortion crime that increases
In the exposition of reform reasons it is recognized that extortion is a high -impact crime, whose prevention and combat have been “insufficient” in all government orders.
Therefore, it is mentioned that this crime increased in recent years by moving from an average of 18.8 daily cases in 2018 to 29.7 in January 2025, and emphasizes that there is regulatory “disparity” in the country between the Federal Criminal Code and the local criminal codes, which causes public policies to combat the crime “deficient”.
In addition, it argues that its repercussions are not limited to individual affectation, but affects collective heritage, the national economy and even has a negative impact on the emotional and psychological stability of the affected people.
“Extortion has been recurring uses as a modus operandi of organized crime to have considerable economic income, which causes, in these cases, its impact is not resentful only by its victims individual, but also collectively,” reads the exposition of reasons for this constitutional change.
What follows?
When the reform is approved by both legislative chambers, the proposal was sent to the state congresses for their guarantee, since they are constitutional changes.
It will be necessary that at least 17 states support this reform so that the Congress of the Union issues the declaration of constitutionality and can be published in the Official Gazette of the Federation and enters into force.
Among the first states that have already approved this modification is the Congress of Mexico City, which with 56 votes in favor endorsed by changing article 73 of the Constitution.
Oaxaca also unanimously endorsed this change. In extraordinary session, with 33 votes in favor they modified the Constitutional Law.
