Mexican Senator Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, representing the state of Nuevo León, has formally declared his opposition to a proposed constitutional reform that would mandate exclusive Mexican nationality for presidential candidates.
“Being Mexican does not depend on where you were born; it depends on where your roots are.”
The proposed legislation would require individuals seeking the presidency, state governorships, or the head of government position in Mexico City to hold sole Mexican nationality, forcing candidates to relinquish any secondary nationality before registering their candidacy.
“The inevitable question, then, is why this reform? The discourse surrounding it speaks of sovereignty and protecting the country from foreign interests. Yet, if foreign interference were the primary concern, several sitting governors already have documented ties to actors who pose genuine threats to our sovereignty. Governors whom the ruling party defends with caution, silence, and a presumption of innocence,” he explained.
The senator argued that the amendment is unnecessary because executive eligibility is already protected by the Mexican Constitution, adding that the measure unfairly casts suspicion on Mexican citizens born abroad.
Furthermore, Senator Colosio Riojas noted that the legislation conflates dual nationality with dual citizenship. Mexican nationality is acquired by birth or descent (a right enshrined in the Constitution since 1997), whereas foreign citizenship involves naturalization and legal residency requirements abroad.
“This reform confuses these two legal concepts. In doing so, it affects millions of people whose only connection to another nation is simply having been born there.”
While acknowledging that loyalty and sovereignty are essential for public leaders, he maintained that a single-nationality clause does not guarantee devotion to the nation.
“If Congress were serious about addressing this issue, it would focus on dual citizenship, where the actual policy challenges lie. Rather than engaging in an Open Parliament to consult migrant communities, they are rushing to amend the Constitution in under 48 hours,” he said.
The senator confirmed he will vote against the measure to protect millions of dual-national Mexicans who, he stressed, pose no threat to the country’s national security.
