Mexico approves constitutional ban on dual citizenship for presidents

October 3, 2026 at 03:15 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Mexico's Congress and a majority of state legislatures have approved a constitutional reform requiring presidential candidates to renounce any foreign citizenship. President Claudia Sheinbaum defended the measure as protecting national sovereignty. The reform now awaits a declaration of constitutionality before publication in the official gazette.

Key Facts

The reform was approved by both chambers of Mexico's Congress and a majority of the 32 state legislatures.
The requirement takes effect in 2028, so it will not affect current governors or candidates in the 2027 midterm elections.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexican presidents should have only one flag, one homeland, and one people to defend.
Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas claimed the law was designed specifically to block his candidacy.
Mexico's current constitution does not explicitly prohibit presidents and governors from holding dual citizenship.

Constitutional Reform

The reform requires presidential candidates to renounce any foreign citizenship before taking office. It was approved by both chambers of Mexico's Congress and a majority of the 32 state legislatures. The measure now awaits a declaration of constitutionality before publication in the official gazette. Mexico's current constitution does not explicitly prohibit presidents and governors from holding dual citizenship. In Latin America, only Cuba and Venezuela have similar bans on dual citizenship for top officials.

Political Reactions

President Claudia Sheinbaum defended the reform as a measure to protect Mexico from foreign interference. She said Mexican presidents should have only one flag, one homeland, and one people to defend. Critics say the law creates a barrier for politicians with dual citizenship and could disrupt personnel changes within Sheinbaum's Morena party and its allies. Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas claimed the law was designed specifically to block his candidacy. A source within the Morena party confirmed to Reuters that the reform was aimed at Salinas's candidacy.

Timing and Impact

The requirement takes effect in 2028, so it will not affect current governors or candidates in the 2027 midterm elections. Sheinbaum and her government say the proposal is aimed at defending national sovereignty amid increasing pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Critics question the speed of the law's passage ahead of the 2030 presidential election. Mexico's ambassador to the United States, Roberto Lazzeri, said the change is not a referendum against dual citizenship. He said having dual citizenship does not make anyone less Mexican, but the higher the responsibility, the greater the obligations to the country should be.