Mexico 1917 (rev. 2015) Subsequently amended

In the United Mexican States, all individuals shall be entitled to the human rights granted by this Constitution and the international treaties signed by the Mexican State, as well as to the guarantees for the protection of these rights. Such human rights shall not be restricted or suspended, except for the cases and under the conditions established by this Constitution itself.

The provisions relating to human rights shall be interpreted according to this Constitution and the international treaties on the subject, working in favor of the broader protection of people at all times.

All authorities, in their areas of competence, are obliged to promote, respect, protect and guarantee Human Rights, in accordance with the principles of universality, interdependence, indivisibility and progressiveness. As a consequence, the State must prevent, investigate, penalize and rectify violations to Human Rights, according to the law.

Slavery shall be forbidden in Mexico. Every individual who is considered as a slave at a foreign country shall be freed and protected under the law by just entering the country.

Human dignity , General guarantee of equality , Equality regardless of gender , Equality regardless of social status , Equality regardless of origin , Equality regardless of religion , Equality regardless of age , Equality for persons with disabilities , Equality regardless of creed or belief , Equality regardless of sexual orientation

Any form of discrimination, based on ethnic or national origin, gender, age, disabilities, social status, medical conditions, religion, opinions, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other form, which violates the human dignity or seeks to annul or diminish the rights and freedoms of the people, is prohibited.

Article 2

The Mexican Nation is unique and indivisible.

The nation is multicultural, based originally on its indigenous peoples, described as descendants of those inhabiting the country before colonization and that preserve their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions, or some of them.

Consciousness of indigenous identity will be the fundamental criteria to determine to whom apply the provisions on indigenous people.

An indigenous community is defined as the community that constitutes a cultural, economic and social unit settled in a territory and that recognizes its own authorities, according to their customs.

Indigenous people’s right to self-determination shall be subjected to the Constitution in order to guarantee national unity. States’ and Federal District’s constitutions and laws must recognize indigenous peoples and communities, taking into account the general principles established in the previous paragraphs, as well as ethnic-linguistic and land settlement criteria.

Decide their internal forms of coexistence, as well their social, economic, political and cultural organization.

Elect indigenous representatives for the town council in those municipalities with indigenous population.

The constitutions and laws of the States shall recognize and regulate these rights in the municipalities, with the purpose of strengthening indigenous peoples’ participation and political representation, in accordance with their traditions and regulations.

The constitutions and laws of the States and the Federal District shall establish those elements of self-determination and autonomy that may best express the conditions and aspirations of indigenous peoples in each State, as well as the rules, according to which indigenous communities will be defined as public interest entities.

In order to promote equal opportunities for indigenous people and to eliminate discriminatory practices, the Federation, the Federal District, the States and the local councils shall establish the necessary institutions and policies to guarantee indigenous people’s rights and comprehensive development of indigenous communities. Such institutions and policies shall be designed and operated together with them.

1. Stimulate regional development in indigenous areas with the purpose of strengthening local economies and improving the quality of life. To achieve this goal, the three levels of government and the indigenous communities must take part in a coordinated manner. Local governments shall equitably determine the budget that is to be directly managed by the indigenous communities for specific goals.
2. Guarantee education and increase educational level of indigenous peoples, favoring bilingual and cross-cultural education, literacy, completion of the elementary and secondary education, technical training, high education and university education. Also, the authorities must establish a scholarship system for indigenous students at all grades, as well as define and carry out regional educational programs, according to indigenous peoples’ cultural heritage and opinion, and according to the law. Authorities must promote respect towards the several cultures of the Nation and knowledge about them.
3. Enforce an effective access to health services by increasing the coverage of the national health services, while making good use of traditional medicine and also to improve the indigenous people’s nutrition through food programs focusing especially on children.
4. Improve the living conditions of indigenous communities and the spaces used for social activities and recreation through policies that enables the access to public and private financing for housing construction and home improvements, as well as policies that extend the coverage of basic social services.
5. Promote indigenous women development by supporting their productive projects, protecting their health, granting incentives for their education and fostering indigenous women participation in decision-making process of their communities.

In order to enforce the obligations set forth herein, the House of Representatives, the legislative bodies of the Federal District and the States, as well as the Municipal Councils, within the scope of their jurisdictions, shall establish specific budgets to comply with these obligations, as well as the procedures enabling communities to participate in the exercise and supervision thereof.

Any community comparable to indigenous peoples shall have the same rights as the indigenous people, according to the law, without detrimental to rights of natives, their communities and peoples established in this Constitution.

Article 3

All people have the right of education. The State – Federation, States, Federal District and Municipalities – will provide preschool, elementary, middle and high education. Preschool, elementary and middle educations are considered as basic education; these and the high school education will be mandatory.

Education provided by the State shall develop harmoniously all human abilities and will stimulate in pupils the love for the country, respect for human rights and the principles of international solidarity, independence and justice.

The State will guarantee the quality in mandatory education, in a way that educational material and methods, school organization, educational infrastructure and the suitability of teachers and principals ensure the highest learning achievement of students.

The guiding principles for state education shall be based on scientific progress and shall fight against ignorance and its effects, servitude, fanaticism and prejudices.

Be democratic, understanding democracy not only as a legal structure and political regime, but also as a way of life grounded on the continuous economic, social and cultural development;

1. Provide education in accordance with the same purposes and criteria established in paragraph second and section II, as well as to comply with the syllabus mentioned in section III; and
2. Obtain a previous and explicit authorization from the authorities, under the terms provided by the Law.

1. Design and perform the evaluation measurements corresponding to components, processes or results of this system;
2. Issue the guidelines to which the federal and local educational authorities will be subject to, to perform the corresponding evaluation functions, and
3. Generate and publicize information, based on which it will issue the relevant guidelines to contribute to decisions about the improvement of education quality and its equity as an essential factor in the search of social equality.

The Governing Board will be the managing body of the Institute and will be formed with five members. The Federal Executive will present a list of three candidates for consideration of the House of Senators, which, with previous appearance of the proposed persons, shall appoint the person to fill the position. Appointment shall be decided with a two-thirds vote of the present members of the Senate or, during its recess, a two-thirds vote of the Permanent Commission, within a thirty days period not to be extended. Should the Senate fail to decide on the appointment within such time limit, the position will be filled by one of the three candidates to be selected by the Federal Executive.

In case that the Senate rejects the proposed list of three entirely, the Federal Executive shall submit a new one in accordance to the rules set forth in the previous paragraph. If the second list was rejected, the position will be filled by one of the candidates in the list to be selected by the Federal Executive.

Members of the Governing Board shall be capable and experienced individuals in the field under the purview of the Institute, and shall meet the requirements set forth by law. They shall remain in office for seven years in staggered terms, subject to only one reelection. Members of the Governing Board may not stay in office for more than fourteen years. In case of vacancy, the substitute will be appointed to complete the respective term. They can only be removed for severe cause under the terms of Title IV of this Constitution, and they shall not hold any other position job, position or commission with the exception of those in which they act in representation of Institute and those non-remunerated positions in teaching, scientific, cultural or charitable activities.

The Governing Board, in a collegiate manner shall appoint, by a 3-vote majority, the member that will preside for a term set by law.

The law shall establish the rules for the organization and operation of the Institute, which will govern its activities according to the principles of independence, transparency, objectivity, pertinence, diversity and inclusion.

The law shall establish the necessary mechanisms and actions to allow efficacious cooperation and coordination between the Institute and the federal and local education authorities to achieve a better discharge of their respective duties.

Article 4

Man and woman are equal under the law. The law shall protect the organization and development of the family.

Every person has the right to decide, in a free, responsible and informed manner, about the number of children desired and the timing between each of them.

All individuals have the right to nutritional, sufficient and quality nourishment. The State shall guarantee this.

Every person has the right to health protection. The law shall determine the bases and terms to access health services and shall establish the competence of the Federation and the Local Governments in regard to sanitation according to the item XVI in Article 73 of this Constitution.

Any person has the right to a healthy environment for his/her own development and well-being. The State will guarantee the respect to such right. Environmental damage and deterioration will generate a liability for whoever provokes them in terms of the provisions by the law.

Any person has the right of access, provision and drainage of water for personal and domestic consumption in a sufficient, healthy, acceptable and affordable manner. The State will guarantee such right and the law will define the bases, subsidies and modality for the equitable and sustainable access and use of the freshwater resources, establishing the participation of the Federation, local governments and municipalities, as well as the participation of the citizens for the achievement of such purposes.

Any family has the right to enjoy a decent and respectable house. The law will set the instruments and supports necessary to achieve such objective.

Any person has the right to identity and to be registered immediately after their birth. The State shall guarantee the compliance of these rights. The competent authority shall issue, without any cost, the first certified copy of the birth certificate or registration.

The State, in all decisions it makes and all actions it carries out, will safeguard and comply with the principle of doing what is in the best interest of children, thus entirely guaranteeing their rights. Boys and girls have the right to having their nutritional, health, educational and recreational needs satisfied for their proper development. This principle should guide the design, enforcement, following up and evaluation of the public policies focused on childhood.

Ascendant relatives and guardians have the obligation of maintaining and demanding the compliance of these rights and principles.

The State will grant aid to individuals in order to assist with the compliance of the rights of children.

Every person has cultural rights, has the right of access to culture and the right to enjoy state cultural services. The State shall provide the means to spread and develop culture, taking into account the cultural diversity of our country and respecting creative freedom. The law shall provide instruments that guarantee access and participation of any cultural expression.

All individuals have a right to physical culture and the practice of sports. The State shall promote and stimulate this right by issuing laws on the matter.

Article 5

No person may be prevented from performing the profession, industry, business or work of his choice, provided that it is lawful. This right may only be banned by judicial resolution, when third parties’ rights are infringed, or by government order, issued according to the law when society’s rights are infringed. No one can be deprived of legal wages, except by a judicial ruling.

In each state, the law shall determine which professions require a degree to be practiced, the requirements for such degree and the appropriate authorities to issue it.

No one can be compelled to work or render personal services without obtaining a fair compensation and without his full consent, unless the work has been imposed as a penalty by a judicial authority, which shall be subjected to the provisions established in the Article 123, sections I and II.

Only the following public services may be mandatory, and always according to the respective law: military service, jury service, councilman service and positions granted through the direct or indirect vote. Electoral and census duties shall be mandatory and free; however, those services performed professionally shall be paid as provided by this Constitution and any applicable laws. Social professional services shall be mandatory and remunerated according to the law and with the exceptions established in it.

Any contract, pact or agreement, which purpose is the demerit, loss or irrevocable sacrifice of a person’s liberty is prohibited.

Any contract by which a person agrees to his own proscription or exile, or by which he temporarily or permanently waives his right to practice certain profession, industry or business shall not be authorized either.

A work contract will oblige the person only to render the service mentioned in that contract during the term established by law, which may not exceed one year in detriment of the worker. The work contract cannot include the waiver, loss or damage of any political or civil right.

In the event that the worker fails to fulfill said contract, he only may be subjected to civil liability, but never may be exerted any coercion on him.

Article 6

Expression of ideas shall not be subject to judicial or administrative inquiry, except for those cases when such expression of ideas goes against the moral, privacy or the rights of third parties, causes perpetration of a felony, or disturbs the public order. The right of reply shall be exercised according to law. The State shall guarantee the right to information.

Every person shall be entitled to free access to plural and timely information, as well as to search for, receive and distribute information and ideas of any kind, through any means of expression.

The State shall guarantee access to information and communication technology, access to the services of radio broadcast, telecommunications and broadband Internet. To that end, the State shall establish effective competition conditions for the provision of such services.

To accomplish the provisions of this article, the following points shall be observed:

1. In order to exercise the right of access to information, the Federation, the States and the Federal District, according to their respective powers, shall act in accordance to the following basis and principles:
   1. All information in custody of any authority, entity or organ of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Powers, autonomous organisms, political parties, public funds or any person or group, such as unions, entitled with public funds or that can exercise authority at the federal, state or municipal level is public. This information may only be reserved temporarily due to public interest or national security, following the law provisions for this. The principle of maximum disclosure shall prevail when interpreting this right. The obligated subjects (obligors) must record every activity that derives from their authority, competence or function, the law will specifically establish the assumptions under the declaration of inexistence of information shall proceed.
   2. Information regarding private life and personal data shall be protected according to law and with the exceptions established therein.
   3. Every person shall have free access to public information, his/her personal data and in the case to the rectification of his/her personal data, without the necessity to argue interest or justification.
   4. The mechanisms to access information and expedite review procedures shall be established. These procedures must be formalized before specialized and impartial autonomous agencies established by this Constitution.
   5. Government agencies (obligors) shall record and keep their documents in updated administrative files, and shall disclose, through electronic media, the complete and updated information about the use of public resources and their management indexes so that the information allows accountability procedures in regard to the fulfillment of their objectives and the results of their performance.
   6. The law shall establish procedures for governmental agencies (obligors) to disclose information concerning the use of public resources paid to individuals or companies.
   7. Failure to comply with these dispositions in regard to the access to public information shall be penalized according to the law.
   8. The Federation shall establish an autonomous, specialized, impartial and collegiate agency. It must have a legal personality; own assets; full technical, managerial and decision power over its budget and internal organization; and shall be responsible for guaranteeing the fulfillment of the right of access to public information and the protection of personal data held by public agencies (obligated subjects), according to the terms established by law.

   The autonomous transparency agency established in this fraction will be governed by the transparency and access to public information law, as well as the law for the protection on personal data held by obligated subjects, in the terms established by the general law issued by the Congress to set the basic principles, basis and procedures for the exercise of the information rights.

   This agency will be governed by the principles of certainty, legality, independence, impartiality, efficiency, objectiveness, professionalism, transparency and maximum publicity.

   The autonomous transparency agency has competence to receive inquiries related to the right of access to public information and the protection of personal data from any authority, entity, organism or agency that belongs to any of the Executive, Legislative or Judicial Powers, as well as any autonomous agency, political parties public trusts and public funds, or any other person, group, union or organization that receives or use public resources or that exercise authority at the federal domain with exception of those issues that correspond to the jurisdiction of the Federal Supreme Court, in which case a committee of three Supreme Court Justices would decide the issue. The autonomous transparency agency has, also the competence to receive the inquiries from individuals in regard to the resolutions issued by the local autonomous specialized transparency agencies and the Federal District transparency agency that ruled the inexistence, reserve, and confidentiality of information or that refuses to disclose information according to the terms established by law.

   The National Transparency Agency [organismo garante], ex oficio or by substantiated petition of the local agency from the States or the Federal District may receive or analyze the inquiries that due to its importance or transcendence are in the interest of the National Transparency Agency.

   The law will determine the information that shall be considered as reserved or confidential.

   The resolutions of the National Transparency Agency are mandatory, definitive and indisputable for the obligated subjects (obligors). Only in the cases that the resolutions may be considered to endanger public security according to the law in the matter, the Legal Councilor of the Federal Government may present a review inquiry to the Supreme Court.

   The National Transparency Agency [organismo garante] shall be constituted by seven commissioners. To appoint them, the Senate, previous extensive consultation to social actors and by proposal of the different parliamentary groups, will appoint the commissioner with the vote of two-thirds of the Senators present in the session according to the vacancy that must be covered and following the procedure established by law. The President may oppose the appointment within ten business days. If the President does not oppose the appointment within the given days, then the person appointed by the Senate will assume the commissioner office.

   Given the case that the President opposes the appointment, the Senate will present a new proposal to occupy the vacancy according to the previous paragraph. However, to approve the proposal the vote of three-fifths of the Senators present is required. If this second appointment were objected, the Senate, according to the procedures in the previous paragraph, with the approval of three-fifths of the Senators present would appoint definitively the commissioner that will occupy the vacancy.

   Reference to science

   The commissioner office will be held during seven years, and the commissioners shall fulfill the requirements provided in the fractions I, II, IV, V and VI of the article 95th of this Constitution. The commissioners shall not hold other office, have an additional employment, or other commission with exception of the non-profit chairs or offices related to charities and academic or scientific institutions. The commissioners can only be removed from office according to the terms in the Fourth Title of this Constitution and they will be subject to political trial.

   The conformation of the National Transparency Agency shall promote gender equality.

   The Commissioner President shall be selected by a peer process, through the secret vote of the commissioners. The Commissioner President will remain in office for three years, with the possibility of being reelected to other three years. The commissioner president must render an annual report before the Senate in the date and terms described by the law.

   The National Transparency Agency [organo garante] shall have an Advisory Board, formed with ten council members that shall be elected by the vote of two thirds of the present Senators. The law will establish the procedures to present the proposals to the Senate. Each year, the two council members with longer tenure will be replaced, unless they were proposed and ratified for a second term in office.

   The law will establish the emergency measures and procedures that the Agency could implement to guarantee the fulfillment of its decisions.

   Every authority and public servant is compelled to help the National Transparency Agency and its Commissioners for the adequate performance of the Agency.

   The National Transparency Agency will coordinate its actions with the Federal Superior Comptroller Office [Entidad de Fiscalizacion Superior de la Federacion], the entity specialized in archives and files, the organ in charge of gathering and process of statistical and geographical data, as well as, with the local agencies in the States and the Federal District in order to strengthen the accountability within the Mexican State.

   Telecommunications
   1. The State shall guarantee the integration to the information and knowledge society of its population through a policy of universal digital inclusion crafted with annual and sexennial goals.
   2. Telecommunications are deemed as public services of general interest and, therefore, the State shall guarantee that they are offered under competitive conditions, with quality, plurality, universal coverage, interconnection, convergence, continuity, free access, and free from arbitrary interferences.

   A statute shall establish a decentralized agency with technical, operative, decision-making and management autonomy, which shall provide non-profit broadcasting to secure access to the population at large in each and every one of the Federation’s jurisdictions, to media contents that promote: national integration; educational, cultural and civic training; gender equality; supply of impartial, timely and truthful information about national and international news, allowing for the broadcasting of independent productions, as well as the expression of diverse and pluralistic opinions that strengthen societal democratic life.

   Standing committees

   The agency shall have a citizens’ council to secure independence and an impartial and objective editorial policy. The council shall have nine members to be elected, after ample public consultation, with a two-thirds vote by the Senate or, during recess, by the Permanent Committee. Council members shall serve in staggered terms. Each year, the two most senior members shall be replaced unless ratified for a second term by the Senate.

   Standing committees

   The Senate or, during recess, the Permanent Committee, shall appoint the President of the agency, upon the proposal of the Federal Executive, with a two-thirds vote. The President shall stay in office for five years, and may be re-appointed for only one additional term. The President may only be removed with a two-thirds vote by the Senate.

   The President of the agency shall present and annual report of activities to the Executive and Legislative branches, and he will appear before both chambers of Congress in accordance with the law.

   Protection of consumers Freedom of expression , Freedom of press , Freedom of opinion/thought/conscience

   Article 7

   Radio , Telecommunications

   Freedom of speech, opinion, ideas and information through any means shall not be abridged. Said right shall neither be abridged through any indirect means, such as abuse of official or private control over paper, radio electric frequencies or any other materials or devices used to deliver information, or through any other means or information and communication technologies aimed at impeding transmission or circulation of ideas and opinions.

   No statute or authority shall establish prior restraints, nor shall it abridge freedom of speech, which shall be subject to no other limitation than those foreseen in the first paragraph of Article 6 of this Constitution. Under no circumstances shall the assets used for the transmission of information, opinions and ideas be subject to seizure on the grounds of being an instrumentality of a felony.

   Right of petition

   Article 8

   Public officers and employees will respect the exercise of the right to petition provided that petition is made in writing and in a peaceful and respectful manner. Regarding political petitioning, only citizens have this right.

   Every petition must be decided in writing by the authority to whom it was addressed, who has the duty to reply to the petitioner within a brief term.

   Freedom of assembly , Freedom of association

   Article 9

   The right to peacefully associate or assembly for any licit purpose cannot be restricted. Only citizens of the Republic may take part in the political affairs of the country. No armed meeting has the right to deliberate.

   Meetings organized to make a petition or to submit a protest to any authority cannot be considered as unlawful, nor be broken, provided that no insults are uttered against the authority and no violence or threats are used to intimidate or force the decision of such authority.

   Right to bear arms

   Article 10

   The inhabitants of the United Mexican States have the right to keep arms at home, for their protection and legitimate defense, with the exception of those prohibited by the Federal Law and those reserved for the exclusive use of the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard. Federal Law will state the cases, conditions, requirements and places where inhabitants can be authorized to carry weapons.

   Article 11

   Freedom of movement

   Every person has the right to enter and leave the country, to travel through its territory and to move house without the necessity of a letter of safe passage, passport, safe-conduct or any other similar requirement. In the event of criminal or civil liability, the exercise of this right shall be subject to the judicial authority. Relating to limitations imposed by the laws on immigration and public health, or in respect to undesirable aliens residing in the country, the exercise of this right shall be subject to the administrative authority.

   Protection of stateless persons

   In case of political persecution, any person has the right to seek political asylum, which will be provided for humanitarian reasons. The law shall regulate the cases in which political asylum should be provided, as well as the exceptions.

   Mentions of social class

   Article 12

   No titles of nobility, nor prerogatives and hereditary honors shall be granted in the United Mexican States. Furthermore, those granted by any other country shall have no effect.

   Establishment of military courts

   Article 13

   No one can be tried under special laws or special courts. No person or corporation can have any privileges, nor enjoy emoluments, other than those given in compensation for public services and which must be established by the law. Military jurisdiction prevails for crimes and faults against military discipline; but, under no case and for no circumstance, military courts can extend their jurisdiction over persons who are not members of the Armed Forces. Civilians involved in military crimes or faults shall be put on trial before the competent civil authority.

   Article 14

   Protection from ex post facto laws

   No law will have retroactive effect in detriment of any person.

   Principle of no punishment without law , Guarantee of due process

   No one can be deprived of his freedom, properties or rights without a trial before previously established courts, complying with the essential formalities of the proceedings and according to those laws issued beforehand.

   With regard to criminal trials, it is forbidden to impose any penalty which has not been expressly decreed by a law applicable to the crime in question, arguing mere analogy or majority of reason.

   In civil trials, final sentence must agree with the law writing or the legal interpretation thereof. In the case of lack of the appropriate law, sentence must be based on the general principles of law.

   Extradition procedure , International law

   Article 15

   The United Mexican States disallow international treaties for extradition when the person to be extradited is politically persecuted, or accused of ordinary crime while having the condition of a slave in the country where he/she committed the crime, as well as the agreements or treaties that alter the human rights established by this Constitution and the international treaties signed by the Mexican State.

   Article 16

   Regulation of evidence collection , Right to privacy

   No person shall be disturbed in his private affairs, his/her family, papers, properties or be invaded at home without a written order from a competent authority, duly explaining the legal cause of the proceeding.

   Right to privacy

   All people have the right to enjoy protection on his personal data, and to access, correct and cancel such data. All people have the right to oppose the disclosure of his data, according to the law. The law shall establish exceptions to the criteria that rule the handling of data, due to national security reasons, law and order, public security, public health, or protection of third party’s rights.

   Protection from unjustified restraint

   Only judicial authority can issue an arrest warrant. Such arrest warrant shall always be preceded by a formal accusation or charge of misconduct considered as criminal offence, punishable with imprisonment, provided that there is evidence to prove that a crime has been committed and that the defendant is criminally liable.

   Protection from unjustified restraint

   The authority executing an arrest warrant shall bring the accused before the judge without any delay and under its sole responsibility. Failure to comply with this provision will be punished under criminal law.

   Protection from unjustified restraint

   In cases of flagante delicto, any person may arrest the offender, turning him over without delay to the nearest authorities, which in turn, shall bring him before the Public Prosecution Service. A record of such arrest must be done immediately.

   Protection from unjustified restraint

   The Public Prosecution Service may order arrest of the accused, explaining the causes of such decision, only under the following circumstances all together: a) in urgent cases, b) when dealing with serious offence, c) under reasonable risk that the accused could evade the justice and, d) because of the time, place or circumstance, accused cannot be brought before judicial authority.

   Protection from unjustified restraint

   In cases of urgency or flagrancy, the judge before whom the prisoner is presented shall immediately confirm the arrest or order his release, according to the conditions established in the law.

   In the case of organized crime, and at the request of the Public Prosecution Service, judicial authority can order to put a person into hold restraint, complying with the terms of time and place established by law and without exceeding forty days, whenever necessary for the success of the investigation, the protection of people or legal goods, or when there is reason to believe that the accused could avoid the action of justice. The forty days term can be extended, provided that the Public Prosecution Service proves that the causes that originate hold restraint still remain. In any case, the hold restraint shall not last more than eighty days.

   The term organized crime is defined as the organization of three or more people gathered together to commit crimes in a permanent or frequent manner, in the terms provided by the correspondent law.

   Protection from unjustified restraint

   No accused person shall be held by the Public Prosecution Service for more than forty-eight hours. After this term, his release shall be ordered or he shall be brought before a judicial authority. Such term may be duplicated in case of organized crime. Any abuse shall be punished by criminal law.

   Regulation of evidence collection

   Only a judicial authority can issue a search warrant at the request of the Public Prosecution Service. The search warrant must describe the place to be searched, the person or persons to be apprehended and the objects to be seized. Upon the conclusion of the search, a report must be compiled at the site and before two witnesses proposed by the occupant of the place searched or, in his absence or refusal, by the acting authority.

   Regulation of evidence collection , Right to privacy

   Private communications shall not be breached. The law shall punish any action against the liberty and privacy of such communications, except when they are voluntarily given by one of the individuals involved in them. A judge shall assess the implications of such communications, provided they contain information related to the perpetration of a crime. Communications that violate confidentiality established by law shall not be admitted in any case.

   Regulation of evidence collection , Right to privacy , Telecommunications

   Only the federal judicial authority can authorize telephone tapping and interception of private communications, at the request of the appropriate federal authority or the State Public Prosecution Service. The authority that makes the request shall present in writing the legal causes for the request, describing therein the kind of interception required, the individuals subjected to interception and the term thereof. The federal judicial authority cannot authorize telephone tapping nor interception of communications in the following cases: a) when the matters involved are of electoral, fiscal, commercial, civil, labor or administrative nature, b) communications between defendant and his attorney.

   The judiciaries shall have control judges who shall immediately and by any means solve the precautionary measures requests and investigation techniques, ensuring compliance with the rights of the accused and the victims. An authentic registry of all the communications between judges and the Public Prosecution Service and other competent authorities shall be kept.

   Telecommunications , Regulation of evidence collection

   Authorized telephone tapping and interception of communications shall be subjected to the requirements and limitations set forth in the law. The results of telephone tapping and interception of communications that do not comply with the aforesaid requirements will not be admitted as evidence.

   Right to privacy

   Administrative authorities shall have powers to search private households only in order to enforce sanitary and police regulations. Administrative authorities can require the accounts books and documents to corroborate compliance with fiscal provisions, following the procedures and formalities established for search warrants.

   Right to privacy

   The sealed correspondence circulating through the mail shall be exempt from any search and the violation thereof shall be punishable by the law.

   During peacetime, no member of the Army can be quartered in a private house against the owner’s will nor impose any requirements. During a war, soldiers can demand lodging, baggage, food and other requirements in the terms set forth by the applicable martial law.

   Article 17

   Nobody can take justice into their own hands, nor have resort to violence to enforce his rights.

   Right to speedy trial , Right to fair trial

   All people have the right to enjoy justice before the courts and under the terms and conditions set forth by the laws. The courts shall issue their rulings in a prompt, complete and impartial manner. Court’s services shall be free, judicial fees are prohibited.

   The Mexican Congress shall enact laws to regulate collective actions. Such laws shall establish the cases in which each law applies, as well as the judicial proceedings and the remedies for redress. Only the federal judges have jurisdiction on these proceedings.

   The laws shall provide alternative mechanisms to resolve controversies. Regarding to criminal matter, the laws shall regulate application of such mechanisms, ensure redress and establish the cases in which judicial supervision is required.

   The sentences by which an oral proceeding ends shall be explained in a public hearing before the parties.

   Judicial independence

   Federal and local laws shall provide the necessary means to guarantee the independence of the courts and the full enforcement of their rulings.

   The Federation, the States and the Federal District must guarantee the existence of a quality public defender office and shall provide the conditions for a professional career service for the defenders. The defenders’ fees shall not be inferior to the public prosecutors’ fees.

   Rights of debtors

   Imprisonment shall be forbidden as a way to punish exclusively civil debts.

   Article 18

   Preventive custody shall be reserved for crimes punishable by imprisonment. Preventive prisons shall be completely separated from the prisons used for convicted persons.

   The prison system shall be organized on the basis of respect for human rights, as well as work, training, education, health and sports as a means to achieve inmate’s social rehabilitation, pursuing that he/she will not commit a crime again and following the benefits that the law establishes for him/her. Women and men shall be imprisoned in separate places.

   The Federation, the States and the Federal District can make and execute agreements to send the inmates convicted for crimes under its jurisdictions to serve their sentence in other prisons under a different jurisdiction.

   Privileges for juveniles in criminal process

   The Federation, the States and the Federal District shall establish, within the field of their respective powers, an integral justice system for minor offenders that shall be used for those persons that have been found guilty of committing or participating in a crime as stated by the law and that their age ranges from twelve years old and less than eighteen years old. The system shall guarantee the human rights recognized by this Constitution for every person, as well as those specific rights that due to the their status as a person under development have been granted to children. People under twelve years of age who have been found guilty of having committed or participated in a crime as stated by the law shall only be subjected to social assistance.

   Privileges for juveniles in criminal process

   The management of this system will be organized by institutions, courts and authorities specializing in justice administration and legal proceedings regarding teenagers. The system shall use advice, protection and treatment methods that apply on each particular case following the principles of comprehensive protection and superior interest of the teenager.

   Privileges for juveniles in criminal process

   If appropriate, alternative forms of justice should be used in this system. The judicial process for teenager’s justice shall be through an oral adversarial system in which due process shall be strictly followed as well as the principle of independence among authorities in charge of the process or the conviction. Measures imposed to teenagers shall be proportional to the misconduct and shall seek teenager’s social and family reintegration, as well as the complete development of his person and capabilities. Confinement shall only be used as an extreme measure and for the briefest period of time that applies to the case. Confinement can be applied only to teenagers above fourteen years old who have committed or participated in an act that the law describes as a crime.

   International law

   Mexicans who are serving imprisonment penalties in foreign countries may be brought to the United Mexican States to serve their sentences according to the rehabilitation systems provided in this article. Foreigners who are serving imprisonment penalties may be transferred to their countries, in accordance with international treaties. Prisoner must grant his/her consent for the transfer.

   Convicts may serve their sentence in the penitentiaries closer to their home, in order to encourage their reintegration to the community. This provision shall not be applicable to organized crime and to inmates who require special security measures.

   Special centers shall be created for preventive imprisonment and for penalties regarding organized crime. The competent authority can restrict communication between accused person or prisoner and third parties in the event of organized crime, except for defender. The authority also can impose measures of special surveillance on these inmates. This provision can be applied to other inmates who require special security measures.

   Protection from unjustified restraint

   Article 19

   Detentions before a judicial authority in excess of 72 hours, counted from the moment the accused is presented to the authority, are prohibited without presenting formal charges indicating the crime, place, time and circumstances of such crime; as well as the evidence of the crime and of the probable liability of the accused.

   Right to pre-trial release

   The Public Prosecution Service can request of the judge preventive prison only when other precautionary measures are not enough to ensure the presence of the accused in his trial, the development of the investigation, the protection of the victim, witnesses or community, as well as when the accused is on trial or had been previously convicted for having committed an intentional crime. Also, the judge will order preventive prison, by its own motion, in the following cases: organized crime; deceitful homicide; rape; kidnap; trafficking in persons; crimes committed using firearms, explosives or other violent instruments; and serious crimes against national security, the right to freely develop personality and the public health.

   Right to pre-trial release

   The law shall establish the cases in which the judge can revoke liberty granted to the individuals subjected to trial.

   The term to issue the association order may be extended only at the request of the accused, according to the procedure set forth by the law. Prolonging the detention shall be sanctioned by penal law. The authority in charge of the establishment where the accused is shall attract the judge’s attention if it does not receive a copy of the detention order or the extension request in the term indicated above as soon as the term ends. If the authority does not receive the detention order within the next three hours, the accused shall be freed.

   Every proceeding will treat only the crime or crimes mentioned in the detention order. If within the course of proceedings, another crime appears, it shall be charged on a separate investigation. Charge accumulation may be ordered, if appropriate.

   In the event that, after the detention order has been issued for an organized crime charge, the accused evades the justice or is transferred to a foreign judge, the trial and the expiry date of the criminal action will be suspended.

   Treatment during the arrest or imprisonment, any annoyance without legal justification, any tax or contribution in jails, constitute an abuse which the law shall correct and the authorities shall repress.

   Article 20

   Right to public trial

   Criminal proceedings will be oral and adversarial. It shall be ruled by the principles of open trial, contradiction, concentration, continuity and contiguity.

   1. General principles:
      1. Criminal proceedings shall aim elucidation of the facts, innocent person’s protection, preventing impunity and compensate the damages that the crimes had motivated.
      2. In every hearing, a judge must be present. The judge cannot delegate to somebody else the submission and evaluation of evidence, which shall be done in a free and logic manner.
      3. Only the evidence submitted in the hearing shall be used for the sentence. The law shall establish the exceptions for the above and the pertinent requirements in case that the nature of the evidence requires prior evaluation.
      Right to public trial Regulation of evidence collection Presumption of innocence in trials Protection from self-incrimination , Prohibition of torture , Regulation of evidence collection

      The law shall establish benefits for the accused or convicted person who provides effective assistance in the investigation of felonies related to organized crime.

      Right to public trial

      The defendant shall be judged in an open trial by a judge or court. This provision may be restricted for reasons related to national security, public safety, protection of victims, witnesses and minors, disclosure of legally protected data or when the court considers that it is justified to do so.

      In the case of organized crime, all acts performed during the investigation shall serve as evidence when they cannot be reproduced during the trial or there is a risk for witnesses or victims. The accused has the right to object or contest such evidence.

      The accused and his counsel can access to the investigation records: a) when the accused is under arrest, b) when he makes his statement or is interviewed, c) before the first hearing. Once the first hearing has been carried out, information on investigation cannot be kept in secret, except for exceptional cases determined by the law, whenever that is imperative to ensure the success of the investigation and provided that they are revealed in time to safeguard defendant’s rights.

      Right to speedy trial Right to counsel

      Defendant has the right to a lawyer, whom he shall freely choose even from the moment of his arrest. If he does not want a lawyer or cannot appoint one at the moment of request, the judge shall appoint a public defender.

      The defendant has the right that his lawyer appears in every acts of the process. Defendant’s lawyer is obliged to appear in all the acts related to defendant’s proceeding.

      Right to pre-trial release

      Preventive prison cannot exceed the time established by law as maximum punishment for the crime in question. In no case, preventive prison shall exceed the term of two years, unless defendant asks for a longer time to prepare his defense. If after said term a sentence has not been pronounced, the defendant shall be freed immediately while the trial continues. However, other precautionary measures may be used.

      The duration of detention will count for the sentence term. Protection of victim's rights
      1. The victim has the right to receive legal council, to be informed about the rights that this Constitution grants to his/her favor; and whenever he should so require it, to be informed about the state of the criminal proceedings.
      2. The Public Prosecution Service must receive all the evidence submitted by the victim during the preliminary criminal inquiry as well as during proceedings. The Public Prosecution Service must carry out the necessary steps to assists the victim. The victim has the right to intervene in the trial and to use the legal instruments according to the law.

      Whenever the Public Prosecution Service does not consider necessary to carry out the steps required by the victim, he must state the grounds of law and fact justifying his refusal.

      The law shall set forth agile procedures to enforce redress sentences. Privileges for juveniles in criminal process

      The judge must keep in secret victim’s identity and other personal data in the following cases: minor involved; rape, trafficking in persons, kidnap, organized crime; and when necessary to protect the victim, always respecting the defendant’s rights.

      The Public Prosecution Service shall ensure the protection of victims, offended parties, witnesses and all others who take part in the trial. The judges are obliged to oversee proper compliance with this obligation.

      Attorney general

      Article 21

      It is the Public Prosecution Service’s responsibility to investigate crimes together with police bodies, who shall work under the Public Prosecution Service’s command.

      The exercise of the criminal prosecution before the courts is exclusive to the Public Prosecution Service. The law shall define the cases in which civilians can exercise criminal prosecution before the judicial authority.

      Only judicial authority can impose penalties, modify them and state the pertinent term for them.

      It is the administrative authority’s responsibility to apply the penalties for breaking the regulations. Such penalties may be fines, arrest up to thirty-six hours or community work. The fine may be exchanged by the appropriate incarceration term, which shall never exceed thirty-six hours.

      If the offender is a laborer, worker or employee, he may not be fined for an amount exceeding one day of wage.

      If the offender is not a salaried worker, the fine shall not exceed the amount equivalent to one day of his income.

      The Public Prosecution Service can state exceptions to support exercising of criminal prosecution in the cases and conditions set forth by the Law.

      The President of the Mexican Republic can accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, provided that he has obtained Senate’s approval.

      Public security is a responsibility of the Federation, the Federal District, the States and the Municipal Councils. Public security includes prevention of crimes, investigation and prosecution, as well as punishment for breaking the administrative rules, according to the law and the respective provisions stated in this Constitution. Performance of the institutions in charge of public security shall be ruled by the principles of legality, objectivity, efficiency, professionalism, honesty and respect to the human rights acknowledged by this Constitution.

      Institutions in charge of public security shall be of a civil nature, disciplined and professional. The Public Prosecution Service and the police forces of three government levels shall coordinate each other to guarantee public security. They shall constitute the Public Security National System, which shall be subjected to the following provisions:

      1. There should be a regulation for selection, admission, training, continuance, evaluation, appreciation and certification of the members of public security institutions. The Federation, the Federal District, the States and Municipal Councils shall operate and develop public security actions in the field of their respective powers.
      2. There should be a criminal and personnel database for the public security institutions. No one can be recruited unless he has been duly certified and registered in the system.
      3. There should be public policies intended to the prevention of crimes.
      4. The community shall participate in processes like evaluation of the public security institutions and the policies intended to prevent crime.
      5. Funds for public security, provided by the federal government to the States and Municipal Councils shall be exclusively used for that purpose.

      Article 22

      Prohibition of cruel treatment , Prohibition of torture , Prohibition of capital punishment , Prohibition of corporal punishment

      Penalties of death, mutilation, infamy, marks, physical punishments, torture, excessive fines, confiscation of assets, and other cruel punishments are prohibited. Every penalty shall be in proportion to the crime committed and to the legally protected interest.

      Appropriation of assets shall not be considered as confiscation when such appropriation is ordered by the authority for the payment of taxes, fines or civil liability. Appropriation in the following cases shall not be deemed as confiscation: a) appropriation of property ordered by the judicial authority under the terms provided by Article 109 in case of illicit enrichment; b) appropriation of seized goods that were abandoned by the owner; and c) appropriation of goods, which ownership has been declared extinct by a sentence. In the event of ownership extinction, there shall be a procedure according to the following regulations:

      1. Ownership extinction procedure shall be jurisdictional and autonomous from the criminal proceedings.
      2. Ownership extinction procedure shall be applied in cases of organized crime, drug trafficking, kidnapping, car theft, human trafficking and illicit enrichment. Ownership extinction procedure is to be applied to the following goods:
         1. Those goods that are instrument, object or product of a crime, even though criminal responsibility has not been established by a sentence, as long as there is enough evidence to determine that the crime has occurred.
         2. Those goods that are not part, instrument or product of a crime but that have been used to hide or mix crime assets, provided that the elements established in the previous clause have been met.
         3. Those goods that have been used for the perpetration of a crime by a third party, if the owner was aware, but he did not notify to the proper authority or he did not try to stop it.
         4. Those goods that are the property of third parties, but there are enough elements to conclude that they are the product of patrimonial or organized crime, and the accused of such felonies behaves like the owner.
         Prohibition of double jeopardy , Right to appeal judicial decisions

         Article 23

         No criminal trial shall have more than three instances. No one can be tried twice for the same crime, whether he was acquitted or convicted. Acquitting form the instance is prohibited.

         Freedom of religion

         Article 24

         Freedom of opinion/thought/conscience

         Every person has the right to have freedom of ethical convictions, of conscience and of religion, and to have or to adopt, as the case may be, the one of her preference. Such freedom includes the right to participate, individually or collectively, in both public and private ceremonies, worship or religious acts of the respective cult, as long as they are not a felony or a misdemeanor punished by law. No person is allowed to use these public acts of religious expression with political ends, for campaigning or as means of political propaganda.

         Congress cannot dictate laws that establish or abolish any given religion.

         Ordinarily, all religious acts will be practiced in temples, and those that extraordinarily are practiced outside temples must adhere to law.

         Economic plans

         Article 25

         Human dignity , Mentions of social class , Right to competitive marketplace

         The State shall command the development of the Nation to: be integral and sustainable; strengthen national sovereignty and democracy; and, through competitiveness, fostering economic growth, employment rates and a fair distribution of income and wealth, to allow the full exercise of liberty and dignity to individuals, groups and social strata, which security is protected by this Constitution. Competitiveness shall be understood as those conditions necessary to generate increased economic growth while promoting investment and job creation.

         The State shall promote the stability of public finances and of the fiscal system to create favorable conditions for economic growth and employment. The National Development Plan, the States and Municipals plans shall follow this principle.

         The State shall plan, conduct, coordinate and direct national economic activity and shall carry out the regulation and promotion of the activities required by public interest within the frame of liberties established by this Constitution.

         The public, social and private sectors shall contribute to the national economic development, with social responsibility, without detriment to other forms of economic activity that contribute to the development of the country.

         The public sector shall exclusively be in charge of those strategic areas established in Article 28, paragraph fourth of the Constitution. The Federal Government shall at all times keep ownership and control over agencies and public productive corporations that have been established. In the case of planning and control of the national power system, the public power transmission and distribution systems, as well as the exploration and exploitation of oil and other hydrocarbons, the Nation shall be empowered to carry on those activities pursuant to paragraphs sixth and seventh of Article 27 of this Constitution. In the aforementioned cases, a law shall establish the rules concerning the administration, organization, functioning, procurement and other legal acts to be executed by the State-owned companies, as well as the remuneration regime for the personnel, to guarantee its efficiency, efficacy, honesty, productivity, transparency and accountability in accordance with best practices; the law shall also determine other activities that they may carry out.

         Likewise, the State may, alone or together with the social and private sectors, stimulate and organize such areas, which are a priority for development, in accordance with the law.

         Protection of environment

         Social and private sector enterprises shall be supported and fostered under criteria of social equity, productivity and sustainability, subject to the public interest and to the use of the productive resources for the general good, preserving them and the environment.

         The Law shall establish mechanisms to facilitate organization and expansion of economic activity of the social sector: farming cooperatives (ejidos), workers’ organizations, cooperatives, rural communities, enterprises which are majority or exclusively owned by workers and, in general, all the different social organizations for production, distribution and consumption of such goods and services that are necessary for society.

         The law shall promote and protect economic activities carried out by private parties and it shall also generate those conditions necessary to foster private sector growth leading to the benefit of national economic development, promoting competitiveness and implementing a national policy aimed at industrial development that shall include sectorial and regional components, according to the terms set forth by this Constitution.

         Article 26

         Economic plans

         The State shall organize a democratic planning system to support national development, which shall provide solidity, dynamism, competitiveness, continuity and equity to economic growth for the political, social and cultural independence and democratization of the nation.

         National objectives included in this Constitution shall determine national planning. National planning shall be democratic and deliberative. Through the democratic participation mechanisms, the planning system shall collect the different aspirations and demands from the whole society to include them into the development programs and to the National Development Plan. All the programs carried out by the federal government must be subjected to the National Development Plan.

         The law shall empower the President of the Republic to establish the appropriate procedures of popular participation and consultation for the national democratic planning system, as well as the criteria to prepare, implement, control and assess the development plan and programs. The law shall determine which agencies shall be responsible for the planning process and shall also determine the basis upon which the President of the Republic shall coordinate, through agreements with state governments and through agreement with private parties, the activities intended to prepare and implement the National Development Plan. The National Development Plan shall take into consideration the continuity and necessary adaptations of the national policy for the industrial development, paying attention to sectorial and regional considerations.

         The law shall define the intervention of the Mexican Congress in the democratic planning system.

         The State shall have a National System of Statistical and Geographical Information, which shall provide official data. All data contained in this system shall be used mandatorily for the Federation, the States, the Federal District and the Municipal Councils, according to the law.

         The National System of Statistical and Geographical Information shall be ruled and coordinated by an organism, which shall have technical, and management autonomy, legal personality and its own assets. Such organism will have the necessary powers to regulate data collection, processing and publication of information.

         Standing committees

         The organism shall have a Board of Government composed by five members, one of them shall be the chairman of both the board and the organism. The five members shall be designated by the President of the United Mexican States and approved by the Senate, or by the Permanent Committee during recess.

         The law shall define the organization and functioning of the National System of Statistical and Geographical Information, according to the principles of access to information, transparency, objectivity and independence. The law also shall establish the requirements to become a member of the board, as well as the tenure term and the staggered renewal of the members.

         Reference to science

         The members of the board may be removed only due to a serious cause. They cannot have any other job, position or assignment, except for unpaid services in educational, scientific, cultural or altruistic institutions. Board members shall be subjected to that established in the Title Four of this Constitution.

         The National Council for the Evaluation of the Social Development Policy shall be formed with one president and six councilors that shall be Mexican citizens with recognition for their work in the private or social sector, the academia or by their professional merits. They shall have at least ten years of experience in the social development sector and they must not be affiliated with any political party or have been a candidate for public office through electoral process. The Councilors shall be appointed by two thirds of the present members of the Chamber of Representatives, according to the procedures established by law. The Mexican President may object the appointment within ten business days, if the President does not present any objection, the person appointed shall occupy the office of Councilor. Every four years, the two Councilors with higher seniority shall be substituted unless they were nominated and appointed for a second term in office.

         The President of the National Council for the Evaluation of the Social Development Policy shall be appointed in the same manner as the previous paragraph and shall be in office for five years after this period, he/she could be reelected for one more period and may only be removed in the terms stated in the Fourth Title of this Constitution.

         Each year, the President of the National Council for the Evaluation of the Social Development Policy shall present a report of activities before both Chambers of the Congress according to the law provisions.

         Ownership of natural resources

         Article 27

         The property of all land and water within national territory is originally owned by the Nation, who has the right to transfer this ownership to particulars. Hence, private property is a privilege created by the Nation.

         Protection from expropriation

         Expropriation is authorized only where appropriate in the public interest and subject to payment of compensation.

         Protection of environment

         The Nation shall at all time have the right to impose on private property such restrictions as the public interest may demand, as well as to regulate, for social benefit, the use of those natural resources which are susceptible of appropriation, in order to make an equitable distribution of public wealth, to conserve them, to achieve a balanced development of the country and to improve the living conditions of rural and urban population. Consequently, appropriate measures shall be issued to put in order human settlements and to define adequate provisions, reserves and use of land, water and forest. Such measures shall seek construction of infrastructure; planning and regulation of the new settlements and their maintenance, improvement and growth; preservation and restoration of environmental balance; division of large rural estates; collective exploitation and organization of the farming cooperatives; development of the small rural property; stimulation of agriculture, livestock farming, forestry and other economic activities in rural communities; and to avoid destruction of natural resources and damages against property to the detriment of society.

         International law

         The following elements are the property of the Nation: all natural resources of the continental shelf and the seabed of the islands; all minerals and substances that are in seams, layers, masses or deposits and that have a nature different from the components of the soil, such as minerals from which metals and metalloids are extracted; beds with gemstones or salt; salt mines formed by sea water; the products derived from rock breaking, when their exploitation requires underground works; minerals or organic deposits susceptible to be utilized as fertilizers; solid mineral fuels; petroleum and all solid, liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons; and the space located over national territory, according to the extension and terms established by International Law.

         International law

         The following elements are the property of the Nation, according to the extension and terms established by International Law: waters of the territorial sea; internal sea waters; waters of lagoons and estuaries permanently or intermittently connected with the sea; waters of natural lakes which are directly connected with streams constantly flowing; river and affluent waters, from the site where the first permanent, intermittent or torrential waters start to flow, to the mouth in the sea, lakes, lagoons or estuaries owned by the nation; waters of the continuous or intermittent currents and their direct or indirect affluent, whenever their bed serves as border of national territory or between two states, or when they flow from one state to another or cross the country’s border; waters of lakes, lagoons or estuaries, which vessels, zones or shores are crossed by borderlines dividing one or more states or between the country and a neighboring country, or when the shoreline serves as a border between two states or between the country and a neighboring country; waters of springs flowing from beaches, maritime areas, streams, vessels or shores; waters extracted from mines; and the internal beds, shores and banks. Underground waters may be freely extracted by artificial works and may be appropriated by the owner of the land. However, when the public interest so requires or whenever other uses are affected, the President of the Republic may regulate extraction and use of underground waters and, even, establish prohibited zones. The same criteria shall apply to other waters belonging to the nation. Any other waters not included in the foregoing list, shall be considered as an integral part of the land through which they flow. Nevertheless, if such waters are located in two or more properties, their use shall be considered as public, complying with provisions issued by the states.

         Telecommunications , Radio

         In the cases referred to in the two previous paragraphs, the dominion by the State shall be inalienable and imprescriptible, and the exploitation, use or development of those resources, be that by individuals or by corporations incorporated in accordance with Mexican laws, shall not be carried out but through concessions granted by the Federal Executive in accordance with the rules and requirements so established by the laws; exception be made of broadcasting and telecommunications concessions, which shall be granted by the Federal Telecommunications Institute. Legal norms regarding works or efforts to exploit minerals and others substances referred to in paragraph four shall govern the execution and oversight of those carried out, or that ought to be carried out as of their entry into force, regardless of the granting date of the concessions, and the breach thereof shall result in the termination of the concessions. The Federal Government is empowered to establish and revoke national reserves. Such declarations shall be made by the Executive in those cases and under the conditions set forth by the laws. No concession shall be granted in the case of radioactive minerals. The Nation shall exclusively carry out the planning and control over the national electric system, and over the power transmission and distribution utilities. No concession shall be granted in these activities, notwithstanding the power of the State to execute contracts with private parties in accordance with the laws, which shall determine the ways in which private parties may participate in all other activities related to the electric power industry.

         In the case of petroleum and solid, liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons found underneath the surface, dominion by the Nation shall be inalienable and imprescriptible, and no concessions shall be granted. In order to obtain revenue for the State and contribute to the long-term development of the Nation, the Sate shall explore for and exploit oil and other hydrocarbons through assignment to productive state-owned companies, or through contracts to be executed with them or private parties, in accordance with the implementing law. To fulfill the purpose of said allocations and contracts, the productive state-owned companies may enter into contracts with private parties. In any event, subsoil hydrocarbons shall remain property of the Nation and it shall be so expressed in the allocation and contracts.

         Only the State can use nuclear minerals to generate nuclear energy. The State shall regulate the use of nuclear minerals. Nuclear energy will be used only for peaceful goals.

         The Nation has sovereign rights and jurisdiction on the exclusive economic zone, situated outside and beside the territorial sea. The exclusive economic zone stretches from the seaward edge of the country’s territorial sea out to two hundred nautical miles. In cases where said zone should produce a superposition over the exclusive economic zones of other countries, fixing of the boundaries shall be done through agreements with such countries.

         The legal capacity to own Nation’s lands and waters shall be governed by the following provisions:

         Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to own lands and waters, and to obtain exploitation licenses for mines and waters. The State may grant the same right to foreigners, provided that they agree before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider themselves as Mexicans regarding such property and not to invoke the protection of their governments in reference to said property, under penalty of forfeiting the property in favor of the country. Foreigners cannot acquire properties within the zone that covers one hundred kilometers along the international borders and fifty kilometers along the beach.

         The State can authorize foreign States to acquire real estate for their embassies or legations in the same city where federal government powers reside, in accordance to the principle of reciprocity and to the national public interest and at consideration of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

         Reference to science

         The maximum area of land that such class of companies can hold in ownership for agricultural, livestock farming or forest activities is equivalent to twenty five times the limits specified in section XV of this Article. The law shall determine the capital structure and minimum number of shareholders so that the lands owned by each shareholder do not exceed the limits established for small rural property. All individual rural properties, based on shares, will be cumulative for this purpose. Likewise, the law shall establish the requirements for the participation of foreigners in said corporations.

         The law shall establish the registration and control procedures required to comply with the provisions of this section.

         Protection from expropriation

         The Federal District, the States and Municipal Councils shall have full legal capacity to acquire and possess all the real estate required for public services.

         Federal and State laws, according to their respective jurisdiction, shall establish the cases in which expropriation of private property is necessary for the public welfare, issuing the corresponding statement. Compensation for expropriation shall be based on the property value registered in the records of the land registry or Tax collector’s office, regardless such value has been defined by the owner or by the State and tacitly accepted by owner when paying taxes. Only the increased or decreased value of said private property, due to any improvements or deteriorations made after the tax appraisal, can be subjected to assessment by experts and to judicial resolution. Objects, which value is not fixed in tax collector’s office, can also be subjected to assessment by experts and to judicial resolution.

         The Nation shall execute the actions established in this Article through judicial proceedings. During said proceedings and under the appropriate court’s order, which shall be issued within one month, administrative authorities shall occupy, manage, auction or sell the lands or waters in question along with their appurtenances. In no case may such actions be revoked by the corresponding authorities before the execution sentence is pronounced.

         The law shall protect the wholeness of the indigenous groups’ lands.

         In order to promote respect and strengthening of the community life of farming cooperatives and communal land, the law shall protect the lands for human settlements and shall regulate the uses of communal lands, forests and waters. The State shall implement actions to improve the quality of life of in such communities.

         The law shall regulate the exercise of indigenous peoples’ rights over their land and of joint-title farmers over their parcels, respecting their will to adopt the best conditions for the use of their productive resources. The law shall establish the procedures whereby the members of a cooperative and indigenous people may: associate among themselves or with the State or with third parties; grant the use of their lands; transfer their land rights to other members of their rural community, in the event of farming cooperative. The law shall also set forth the requirements and procedures whereby the cooperative assembly shall grant their members private rights over land. In cases of transfer of ownership, the right of preference set forth by the law shall be respected.

         Within a same rural community, no member of a cooperative can hold land exceeding five percent of the total land belonging to the farming cooperative. Land ownership must always adjust to the restrictions established in section XV.

         The general assembly is the supreme authority of the farming cooperative or indigenous community, within the organizational structure and powers granted by law. The communal property commission is a body democratically elected according to the terms provided by the law. It is the representative organ of the farming cooperative and the one responsible to carry out the assembly’s decisions.

         Restitution of lands, forests and waters to rural communities shall be done according to the terms provided in the law.

         1. All appropriation of lands, waters and mountains from towns, villages, settlements or communities, made by political chiefs, governors or any other local authority in contravention of the law published on June 25, 1856, and other applicable laws and provisions;
         2. All concessions, arrangements or sales of lands, waters or mountains, made by the Secretariat of Public Works, the Department of the Treasury or any other federal authority from the first day of December, 1876, to this date, which have illegally invaded farming cooperatives, indigenous land or lands of any other kind belonging to towns, villages, hamlets or communities.
         3. All demarcation procedures, transactions, transfers or auctions performed during the period mentioned in previous paragraph and made by companies, judges or federal or state authorities, which have illegally invaded farming cooperatives, indigenous land or lands of any other kind belonging to towns, villages, hamlets or communities.

         The only lands excepted from the nullity herein mentioned are those which have been distributed in accordance with the Law published on June 25, 1856, and have been owned for more than ten years, provided that the area does not exceed fifty hectares.

         Small agricultural property is defined as the land which area does not exceed one hundred hectares of irrigated or damp soil per person, or the equivalent in other kind of soil.

         Equivalence: one hectare of irrigated soil equals two hectares of seasonal soil equals four hectares of good quality pastureland equals eight hectares of forest, mountain or arid pastureland.

         The following properties are also considered as small agricultural property: a) up to one hundred and fifty hectares per person when the ground is dedicated to cotton cultivation if the lands are irrigated; b) up to three hundred hectares when dedicated to cultivate banana, sugar cane, coffee, henequen, rubber, palm, grapevine, olives, quinine, vanilla, cacao, agave, prickly pear or fruit trees.

         Small livestock property is defined as the area that does not exceed the land necessary to maintain up to five hundred heads of big livestock or the equivalent in small livestock per person, in accordance with the law and with the fodder capacity of the soil.

         When the owners or users improve the quality of land by reason of irrigation, drainage or any other works, the land will still be considered as small agricultural property, even if it exceeds the maximum limits established for good quality lands, provided that the requirements established by the law are met.

         If the owner or user of a small livestock property improves the land and uses it for agricultural purposes, the area so utilized shall not exceed the limits mentioned under paragraphs second and third of this section corresponding to the quality of said lands before the improvement.

         Excess land shall be partitioned and sold by the owner within a term of one year from the date of notification. If at the end of such term the excess land has not been transferred, it shall be sold by public auction. Under equal conditions, the right of preference established in the Statutory Law shall be respected.

         Local laws shall organize the family estate, establishing which properties and goods must compose it. Family estate shall be inalienable and unencumbered

         Standing committees

         All conflicts that could arise or are pending between two or more communities related to land limits or land ownership, are under federal jurisdiction. The law shall establish agrarian courts vested with autonomy and full jurisdiction, which shall be made up of judges proposed by the President of the Republic and approved by the Senate or by the Permanent Commission during recess period.

         The law shall establish an agency that provides agrarian justice to peasant farmers.

         The comprehensive and sustainable rural development referred to in the previous paragraph shall also include, among its aims that the State shall guarantee the sufficient and timely supply of basic nourishment established by law.

         Article 28

         Right to competitive marketplace

         In the United Mexican States, all monopolies, monopoly practices, state monopolies and tax exemptions are prohibited. Protectionist policies are also prohibited.

         Right to competitive marketplace , Protection of consumers

         Consequently, the law shall severely punish, and authorities shall efficaciously police, all concentration or hoarding of articles deemed of necessary consumption in one or few hands, which purpose is to generate a price increase; every contract, procedure or combination of producers, industrialists, traders or service entrepreneurs resulting in restraint of free trade and competition among themselves, or forcing consumers to pay unreasonable prices, and, in general, any action resulting in an exclusive, unwarranted advantage in favor of one or many determined persons with prejudice for the general public or a social class.

         Protection of consumers

         The laws shall establish bases to set maximum prices for articles, commodities or products considered as essential for the country’s economy or for popular consumption. Such laws shall also define distribution of said articles, commodities and products, in order to prevent that unnecessary or excessive intermediation cause shortage or price increases. The law shall protect and promote the organization of consumers for the better protection of their interests.

         Radio , Telecommunications , State operation of the media

         The functions carried out by the State in an exclusive manner in the following strategic economic sectors shall not be considered monopolistic: post, telegraph, radiotelegraphy; radioactive minerals and nuclear power generation; planning and control of the national power system and the public power transmission and distribution systems; the exploration and exploitation of oil and other hydrocarbons, pursuant to paragraphs six and seven of the 27th Article of this Constitution, as well as any other activity expressly determined by the laws issued by Congress. . Satellite communications and railroads are priority areas for national development, in accordance with Article 25 of this Constitution. The State shall protect national security and sovereignty when exercising its ruling power and, when granting concessions or permits, it shall maintain or establish its dominion of the means of communication in accordance with applicable laws.

         The State shall have the agencies and companies required to efficiently manage the strategic and priority areas, where it may participate alone or together with the private and social sectors.

         Central bank

         The State shall have a Central Bank that shall be autonomous in the exercise of its functions and its administration. Its primary objective shall be to attain the stability of the purchasing power of the national currency, strengthening the guiding role of the State with regard to national development. No authority can order the Central Bank to provide financing. The Sate shall have a public trust denominated Mexican Oil Fund for Stabilization and Development, which fiduciary agent shall be the Central Bank, that will be tasked, under the terms set forth by the laws, with receiving, managing and distributing revenues—taxes excluded—derived from allocations and contracts referred to in paragraph seven of Article 27 of this Constitution.

         Central bank , Reference to science , Standing committees

         Those functions carried out exclusively by the State through the Central Bank in the strategic areas of coining and note printing, shall not be deemed monopolistic. The Central Bank shall regulate exchange rates, as well as banking and financial services, in accordance with the law and with the intervention of any competent authorities. The Central Bank shall have all the necessary powers to carry out said regulation and the enforcement thereof. The management of the Central Bank shall be entrusted to the persons appointed by the President of the Republic with the consent of the Senate or the Permanent Committee, as the case may be. They shall hold office for the terms which duration and staggered sequences are best suited to the autonomous exercise of their duties; they may only be removed for a serious cause and they cannot hold any other employment, position or assignment, except for those in which they act in the name of the Bank, and those unpaid activities carried out in educational, scientific, cultural or charitable organizations. The persons in charge of the Central Bank may be subjected to impeachment in accordance with the provisions established in the Article 110 of this Constitution.

         The Executive Branch shall have coordinated regulatory agencies for the energy sector, denominated National Hydrocarbons Commission and Energy Regulatory Commission, in accordance with the terms set forth by the law.

         Unions and workers associations will not be considered monopolies, which have been constituted to protect their own interests. Producers’ cooperatives or associations will not be considered monopolies either, provided that their objective is to sell directly in foreign markets the domestic and industrial products which are the main source of wealth in the region where they are produced or which are not essential products. Such associations shall always be under the supervision or protection of federal or state government and shall obtain the previous authorization from the appropriate legislative body. Such legislative bodies can repeal any authorization granted to constitute the associations in question, by themselves or by the President of the Republic’s request.

         Reference to art , Provisions for intellectual property

         Privileges granted for a given period of time to authors and artists for them to produce their pieces of work and to inventors and those individuals who improve inventions will not be considered monopolies.

         The State can grant concessions for the provision of public services or for the exploitation and use of property owned by the Nation, except for the exceptions established by the law. The laws shall set forth the requisites and conditions to guarantee that licensed services will be efficient and goods will be used for society’s interest.

         The laws shall prevent concentration of State property in private hands. Concession of public services shall be carried out according to this Constitution.

         Subsidies can be granted to economic key activities, provided that such benefits general and temporary and do not impact substantially the Nation’s finances. The State shall supervise application of subsidies and evaluate their results.

         Right to competitive marketplace

         The State shall have a Federal Economic Competition Commission, which shall be autonomous, shall have legal entity and its own assets, and shall guarantee free competition and maximized turnout to the marketplace, as well as prevent, investigate and police monopolies, monopolistic practices, economic concentrations and any other restrictions to the efficient operation of markets, in accordance with the Constitution and the law. The Commission shall have all the necessary powers to: efficaciously accomplish its task, including the power to issue orders to remove competition barriers and free access to the marketplace; regulate access to essential raw materials, and order divestment of certain assets, rights, stakes or shares of economic agents, in the proportion needed to remove anti-competitive effects.

         Telecommunications , Radio

         The Federal Telecommunications Institute is an autonomous body, with legal entity and its own assets, tasked with the efficient development of broadcasting and telecommunications in accordance with this Constitution and the provisions set forth by the laws. To that end, it shall regulate, promote and oversee the use, enjoyment and exploitation of the radio electric spectrum, the networks and the performance of broadcasting and telecommunication services, as well as the access to active and passive infrastructure and to other essential materials, to guarantee what this Constitution provides in Articles 6 and 7.

         Telecommunications , Radio

         The Federal Telecommunications Institute shall also: be the authority with competence on economic competition for the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, where the Institute shall exclusively exercise the powers established in this article and the laws in favor of the Federal Economic Competition Commission; regulate participants in those markets asymmetrically to efficaciously eliminate barriers to competition and free access to the marketplace; set limits to the national and regional concentration of frequencies, concessions and cross-ownership as a means to control several media units with broadcasting and telecommunication concessions serving a given market or geographical coverage area; and order the divestment of assets, rights or quotas necessary to secure compliance of these limits, to guarantee what this Constitution provides in Articles 6 and 7.

         Telecommunications , Radio

         The Institute shall have the power to grant, revoke, as well as authorize assignment, changes of control, ownership or operation of legal entities in connection with broadcasting and telecommunications concessions. The Institute shall notify the Secretary of the corresponding jurisdiction prior to rendering a decision, who may issue a technical opinion on the matter. Concessions may be for commercial, public, private or social use, the latter including community and indigenous use, in accordance with their purpose, and subject to the principles set forth in Articles 2, 3, 6 and 7 of this Constitution. The Institute shall set the amount of consideration to be paid for the award of these concessions, as well as for the authorization of services related to them, after receiving the opinion of the treasury authority. The opinions aforementioned shall not be binding and shall be issues within thirty days; once that term is elapsed, should the opinions be still pending, the Institute shall proceed with the corresponding proceeding.

         Radio , Telecommunications

         All concessions of radio electric spectrum shall be granted through a public call for bids, to ensure maximum participation, taking into consideration concentration phenomena to the detriment of public interest, and securing the least price level for final consumers; the economic factor shall not have controlling weight in the concession award decision-making process. Concessions for public or social use will be nonprofit and shall be awarded directly in accordance with the law and under conditions that shall guarantee transparency in the proceedings. The Federal Telecommunications Institute shall keep a public registry of all concessions. A statute shall provide for an effective punitive scheme that will include, as grounds for revoking the concession, among others, the breach of final resolutions in cases of anti-competitive conduct. When revoking a concession the Institute shall serve prior notice to the Federal Executive to allow, eventually, the exercise of its power as needed to secure the continuity of service.

         Telecommunications

         The Federal Telecommunications Institute shall guarantee that the Federal Government is awarded with all necessary concessions for the discharge of its functions.

         Telecommunications

         The Federal Economic Competition Commission and the Federal Telecommunications Institute shall be independent agencies in their functioning and decision-making processes, professional in the performance of their roles, and impartial in their proceedings; and shall be subject to the following [rules and standards]:

         1. They shall issue their resolutions with full independence;
         2. They shall execute their budget autonomously. The House of Representatives shall guarantee sufficient; budgetary allocations to allow a timely and efficacious discharge of their competences
         3. They shall enact their respective organizational charters with a special majority vote;
         4. They may only issue general administrative regulations for the discharge of their regulatory functions in their respective sectorial competence;
         Telecommunications , Radio Telecommunications Telecommunications

         The governing bodies of both the Federal Economic Competition Commission and the Federal Telecommunications Institute shall have seven Commissioners, including the Presiding Commissioner, to be appointed staggered upon the proposal of the Federal Executive with the consent of the Senate.

         The Presiding Commissioner of each agency shall be selected by the Senate among the Commissioners with a two-thirds vote of its present members, to serve for a four-year term, with only one reelection. When the appointment of the Presiding Commissioner falls upon a Commissioner whose term is to finish before the four-year term, then the presidency shall only last for the remainder of his term as Commissioner.

         Commissioners must meet the following requirements:

         1. Be a natural born Mexican citizen and enjoy both civil and political rights;
         2. Be of 35 years of age;
         3. Enjoy a good reputation and have no record of convictions for voluntary felony or crime with a sentence of more than one year;
         4. Have a graduate degree;
         5. Have at least three years of distinguished professional, public service or academic track-record substantially connected to economic competition, broadcasting or telecommunications, as it may correspond;
         6. Substantiate, in accordance with this provision, the technical knowledge required to discharge the responsibilities of the position;
         7. Not having been appointed, during the year prior to the appointment, Secretary of State, Attorney General of the Republic, senator or representative either at the federal or local level, Governor of any state, or Head of Government of the Federal District; and,
         8. In the case of the Federal Economic Competition Commission, not having had employment, appointment or managerial positions in companies that had been subject to any proceeding leading to sanctions before said agency in the previous three years. In the case of the Federal Telecommunications Institute, not having had employment, appointment or managerial positions in companies owned by commercial or private concessionaires or entities related to them, subject to the regulations of said Institute in the previous three years.

         Commissioners shall refrain from performing under any other employment, work, public or private commission, except for teaching positions; they shall refrain from hearing cases in which they may have a direct or indirect stake pursuant to applicable law, and shall be subject to the accountability regime set forth in Title Four of this Constitution and impeachment. A statute shall regulate the modality under which Commissioners may have contact with people representing regulated economic agents to discuss matters of their competence.

         Commissioners shall serve for nine years and under no circumstances will they be appointed for a second term. In case of vacancy of any position, a replacement shall be appointed to complete the remainder of the term, pursuant to the procedure set forth in this Article.

         Candidates to the position of Commissioner shall substantiate their compliance with the requirements set forth above before an Evaluation Committee formed by the heads of the Bank of Mexico, the National Institute for Educational Evaluation and the National Geographical and Statistical Institute. To that end, the Evaluation Committee shall hold hearings every [time] a vacancy opens, shall decide by majority vote and shall be presided by the most senior head of agency, who will have a quality vote.

         The Committee shall issue public calls to fill the vacancy. It shall verify candidates’ compliance with the requirements set forth in this Article and shall further administer a test of knowledge in the field to be taken by those candidates that meet them. The proceedings must observe transparency, publicity and maximized turnout standards.

         To prepare the test on knowledge, the Evaluation Committee shall consider the opinion of at least two higher education institutions and shall follow the best practices in the field.

         Standing committees

         The Evaluation Committee shall send, to cover each vacancy, a list with a minimum of three and a maximum of five candidates with the highest scores. In case of not reaching the minimum number of candidates, a new public call for candidates shall be issued. The Executive shall select, from among the candidates in the list, the one to be proposed to the Senate for its consent. Consent by the Senate shall be given with a two-thirds vote of the present members, within thirty business days as of the day of filing of the proposal. When in recess, the Permanent Commission shall summon the Senate. In case the Senate rejects the candidate proposed by the Executive, the President of the Republic shall submit a new proposal in accordance with the previous paragraph. This procedure shall be repeated, as many times as needed should new rejections take place, until there is only one candidate approved by the Evaluation Committee in the list, who shall then be directly appointed Commissioner by the Executive.

         No act pertaining to the selection and appointment of Commissioners proceedings shall be subject to challenge.

         Emergency provisions , Head of state decree power

         Article 29

         Standing committees

         In case of invasion, serious breach of the peace or any other event which may place society in severe danger or conflict, only the President of the Republic can suspend, throughout the country or in a certain region, those constitutional rights and guarantees which may constitute obstacles for the State to face the situation easily and rapidly as required by the emergency. For this purpose, the President must obtain the Congress of the Union’s approval, or in the recess, the Permanent Committee’s approval. Such suspension of constitutional rights and guarantees shall be temporary through general provisions, never can a suspension be applied on a single person. If suspension of constitutional rights and guarantees is requested within the period when the Congress is working, it shall grant the necessary authorizations for the President to cope with the situation. However, if suspension is requested during the Congress recess, the Congress will be convened immediately so it can agree about the authorizations required.

         Right to life , Rights or duties of parents

         However, the decrees enacted under the situations described in the previous paragraph cannot restrict or suspend the exercise of the following rights and principles: the right to non-discrimination, the right to legal personality, the right to life, the right of personal integrity, the right of protection to the family, the right to have a name, the right to have a nationality, the children’s rights, the political rights, the freedom of thought, the freedom of religion, the principles of legality and retroactivity, the prohibition on the death penalty, the prohibition on slavery and servitude, the prohibition of disappearance and torture, nor the judicial guarantees that are necessary to protect these rights and principles.

         Restriction or suspension of constitutional rights and guarantees should be based and justified on the provisions established by this Constitution, should be proportional to the danger, and should observe the principles of legality, rationality, notification, publicity and non discrimination.

         When the restriction or suspension of the constitutional rights and guarantees ends, because the deadline was met or the Congress so ordered, all legal and administrative measures taken during the restriction or suspension will be void immediately. The President of the Republic cannot make comments to the decree, through which the Congress revokes the restriction or suspension of the constitutional rights and guarantees.

         Supreme court powers , Constitutional interpretation

         The decrees enacted by the President of the Republic, during the restriction or suspension of the constitutional rights and guarantees, shall be immediately reviewed by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, which shall rule on their constitutionality and validity as soon as possible.

         CHAPTER II. Mexican Nationals

         Article 30

         Mexican nationality is acquired by birth or by naturalization.

         Requirements for birthright citizenship
         1. Those born in the Mexican territory, regardless of their parents’ nationality;
         2. Those born in a foreign country which are sons/daughters of Mexican parents born in national territory, of Mexican father born in national territory, or of Mexican mother born in national territory;
         3. Those born in a foreign country which are sons/daughters of Mexican parents by naturalization, of Mexican father by naturalization, or of Mexican mother by naturalization
         4. Those born on board of Mexican military or merchant vessels or aircrafts.
         Requirements for naturalization
         1. Those aliens who obtain a naturalization card from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
         2. Any foreign woman or man who marries a Mexican man or woman and establishes residence inside the Mexican territory, provided that foreigner complies with the other requirements set forth by the law for that purpose.

         Article 31

         Obligations of the Mexicans are:

         1. To make their children or pupils attend to the public or private schools to receive preschool, elementary, middle and higher education and the military [education] under the terms set by the law.
         2. To assist at the date and time established by the Municipal Council of their place of residence, to have civic and military training in order for them to be able to exercise their citizen rights and to have the appropriate knowledge about military discipline and fire arms handling.
         Duty to serve in the military Duty to pay taxes Restrictions on rights of groups

         Article 32

         The law shall regulate the exercise of the rights that the Mexican legislation grants to its citizens that also have a second nationality and shall issue norms to avoid double citizenship conflicts.

         The government positions and offices that by the terms established in this Constitution it is required to be a Mexican citizen by birth shall be reserved to those citizens that meet this criteria and that do not acquire another nationality. This provision shall also apply to the cases stated by other laws enacted by the Mexican Congress.

         During peacetime, foreigners shall neither serve in the Army nor in the police or security bodies. During peacetime, only Mexicans by birth can serve in the Army, in the Navy or in the Air Force as well can perform any employment or commission within such corporations.

         The same condition applies to captains, pilots, skippers, ship engineers, flight engineers and, in general, to every crew member in a ship or an airplane carrying the Mexican flag. In the same way, only Mexicans by birth can be port harbormasters, steersmen and airport superintendents.

         Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners, under equal circumstances, for all kind of concessions, employments, positions or commissions of the government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable.

         CHAPTER III. The Foreigners

         Restrictions on rights of groups

         Article 33

         The individuals that do not meet the criteria determined by Article 30 shall be considered as foreigners. They shall be entitled to the human rights and guarantees conferred by this Constitution.

         Power to deport citizens

         The President of the Republic shall have the power to expel from national territory any foreigner, according to the law and after a hearing. The law shall establish the administrative procedure for this purpose, as well as the place where the foreigner should be detained and the time that the detention lasts.

         Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.

         CHAPTER IV. The Mexican citizens

         Requirements for birthright citizenship , Restrictions on voting

         Article 34

         Mexican citizens shall be those individuals who are considered as Mexicans and fulfill the following conditions:

         1. To be at least 18 years old, and
         2. To have an honest way of life.

         Article 35

         Rights of citizens:

         Restrictions on voting Freedom of assembly Right of petition Legislative initiatives by citizens
         1. They will be called by the Congress of the Union and requested by:
            1. The President of the Republic;
            2. The equivalent to thirty three percent of the members of any of the Chambers of the Congress of the Union; or
            3. The citizens, in an equivalent number, at least, to two percent of those subscribed in the voting registration list, under the terms set by the law.

            With the exception of the hypothesis mentioned in item c) above, the petition should be approved by the majority of each Chamber of the Congress of the Union.

            Supreme court powers , Constitutional interpretation Electoral commission

            Article 36

            Responsibilities of Mexican citizens:

            To register himself at the respective tax office, declaring his property and profession or work. To register himself in the National Citizen Register, according to the law.

            The National Citizen Register, its organization and permanent functions, as well as the issuance of the document that certifies the Mexican citizenship are public services under the State and citizen responsibility according to the provisions stated by the law.

            Duty to serve in the military Jury trials required Conditions for revoking citizenship

            Article 37

            1. The Mexican nationality by birth shall never be revoked.
            2. The Mexican nationality by naturalization can be revoked in the following cases:
               1. If the person voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality, pretends to be foreign citizen when subscribing any public document, uses a foreign passport or accepts or uses nobility titles which imply submission to a foreign State.
               2. If the person lives abroad for five years in a row.

               The President of the Republic, Senators and Representatives and Supreme Court Justices may freely accept and use foreign decorations.

               Reference to science

               Article 38

               Citizens’ rights and prerogatives can be suspended in the following cases:

               1. Unjustifiably failure to comply with the duties imposed by Article 36. This suspension shall last for one year and shall be imposed along with any other punishment which can be applied for such failure under the law.
               2. If the person is on trial for a crime that deserves physical punishment. In such a case suspension starts from the date the detention order was issued.
               3. If the person is serving time in prison
               4. Due to vagrancy or customary inebriation, declared according to the law provisions
               5. If the person is a fugitive, from the moment in which the detention order has been issued to the moment when prosecution has expired.
               6. As a result of a sentence that imposes this suspension

               The law shall define the ways in which citizens’ rights will be revoked or suspended, as well as the recovery procedures.

               TITLE TWO.

               CHAPTER I. National Sovereignty and form of State Governance

               Inalienable rights

               Article 39

               The national sovereignty is vested, originally and essentially, in the people. Public power comes from the people and it is institutionalized for the people’s benefit. People, at all times have the inalienable right to change or modify its form of government.

               Type of government envisioned , Separation of church and state

               Article 40

               It is in the will of the Mexican people to constitute into a representative, democratic, secular, federal, Republic, made up by free and sovereign States in everything related to its domestic regime, but united in a federation established according to the principles of this fundamental law.

               Article 41

               People exercise sovereignty through the Powers of the Union and the state powers, according to the distribution of jurisdictions as it is established in this Constitution and the respective States’ Constitutions. The states’ constitutions, by no means shall challenge the stipulations and premises of the federal pact.

               The legislative and the executive branches of Federal Government shall be renewed by the means of free, authentic and periodical elections. Such elections shall be subjected to the following principles:

               Restrictions on political parties

               Political parties shall be considered as entities of public interest. The legislation shall specify the norms and requirements for their legal registry and their participation in the electoral process, as well as their rights, duties and prerogatives entitled to them.

               Claim of universal suffrage , Secret ballot , Right to form political parties

               The political parties’ main objectives shall be: a) to promote people’s participation in democracy, b) to contribute to the integration of national representative entities and as citizens organizations, c) to allow access by citizens to public power, according to their programs, principles and ideas and through universal, free, secret and direct vote, as well as the rules to guarantee gender equality on candidates to local and federal Congress. Only citizens can form a political party and may join, individually and freely to them. Intervention of labor unions, social associations or any other group affiliation is prohibited.

               Electoral authorities can intervene in the internal issues of political parties only within the scope of the law and this Constitution.

               The national political parties will have the right to participate in the federal, local and municipal elections. The national political party that does not obtain, at least, three percent of the total valid votes emitted in any elections held for the renewal of the Federal Executive or the renewal of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will have its registration cancelled.

               Campaign financing , Restrictions on political parties

               Federal law shall fairly provide national political parties with all necessary resources to carry out their political activities. The law shall also regulate financing system for the parties, in order to prevent private funding to prevail over public funding.

               1. Public funding directed to cover ordinary and permanent activities shall be established annually according to the following method: To multiply the total quantity of citizens registered in the electoral register by sixty five percent of daily minimum wage in the Federal District. The thirty percent of the amount obtained by such calculus shall be equally distributed among political parties; seventy percent shall be distributed according to the vote percentage they have obtained at the previous House of Representatives election.
               2. Public financing for electoral activities in the year when President of the Republic, senators and representatives are elected shall be equal to the fifty percent of public funding provided under the previous paragraph. Public financing for electoral activities in the year when only representatives are elected shall be equal to the thirty percent of public funding provided under the previous paragraph.
               3. Public funding for specific activities, related to education, training, socioeconomic and political research and publishing activities, shall be equal to the three percent of the total public financing for all parties according to paragraph “a” per year. The thirty percent of the amount obtained by such calculus shall be equally distributed among political parties and seventy percent shall be distributed according to the vote percentage they have obtained at the previous House of Representatives election.

               The law shall define limits for spending in the internal process for candidate selection, as well as for electoral campaigns. The law shall also establish maximum limits for monetary contributions provided by sympathizers and affiliates. The law shall also establish procedures to control and monitor the origin and use of financial resources of the parties, and shall determine the measures to punish any illegal activity in this respect.

               The law shall establish procedures to help parties to pay their liabilities in the event that they lose registration, as well as to regulate the way their properties will be transferred to the State.

               Radio , Television , Campaign financing , Electoral commission
               1. From the run-up to the election campaign until the election day, the National Electoral Institute shall get forty eight minutes daily, distributed in two to three minutes segments per hour in each radio station and television channel, according to the schedule defined in paragraph “d” of this section. In the period between the run-up for the internal election and the beginning of the electoral campaign, the fifty percent of the time in radio and television shall be distributed to the goals and objectives of the electoral authorities and the remaining minutes shall be distributed to air generic messages from the political parties in the terms established by law.
               2. During run-up, political parties shall get, jointly, one minute per transmission hour at each radio station and television channel. The remaining time shall be used according to the law.
               3. During electoral campaigns, the media shall allocate at least eighty-five per cent of the time established in paragraph “a” of this section to political parties and candidates to guarantee their rights.
               4. Transmissions about political parties in each radio station and television channel shall be distributed between 06:00 and 24:00 hours.
               5. According to the rights of the political parties and, in a given case, to the independent candidates, airtime shall be distributed among them in the following way: seventy percent shall be distributed according to the vote percentage obtained by each political party at the previous House of Representatives election, the remaining thirty percent of airtime shall be equally distributed among political parties; from these equally distributed parts, up to one shall be assigned to all the independent candidates.
               6. Political parties that are not present in the Mexican Congress shall only get the airtime in radio and television corresponding to the percentage, equally distributed among parties, mentioned in the last item.
               7. Apart form the running-up period and the electoral campaigns, and with independence of the items a) and b) of this section, the National Electoral Institute shall get at radio and television airtime up to twelve percent of the total airtime allocated for the State, according to the law and under any modality. From this twelve percent, the National Electoral Institute shall equally allocate fifty percent between the political parties. The remaining fifty percent shall be used by the National Electoral Institute for its own purposes or another, federal or local, electoral authority. Every political party shall distribute its airtime according to the schemes provided by the law. In any case, the airtime shall be transmitted according to the schedule designed by the National Electoral Institute according to item d) of this section. In special occasions and with the proper justifications, the Institute might use the time that corresponds to party messages used to promote a political party.

               Political parties or candidates cannot, in any time, buy airtime on television or radio by themselves or through third persons.

               No private individual or legal entity can buy airtime on television or radio to influence political preference, or to promote or attack certain candidate or party. Such kind of media messages that have been contracted in a foreign country cannot be transmitted in the Mexican territory.

               The States and the Federal District shall issue laws to enforce observance of the provisions established in the two previous paragraphs.

               Electoral commission , Radio , Television , Campaign financing
               1. In the event of state elections that coincide with federal elections, airtime for the state shall be included within the total time allocated in accordance with paragraphs “a”, “b” and “c” of section “A”.
               2. For the rest of electoral processes, allocation shall be done according to the law and to the criteria provided in this Constitution.
               3. Airtime distribution among the parties, including local parties and independent candidates, shall be carried out in accordance with the criteria established in section “A” and with the applicable legislation.

               If the National Electoral Institute considers that total airtime in radio and television granted by this and the previous paragraphs were not enough for its own purposes, for another electoral authority’s purposes or for the independent candidates, it can issue orders to cover the deficit within the powers vested to it.

               Restrictions on political parties

               In the political and electoral campaign advertising, the political parties and candidates cannot use terms or expressions that denigrate or slander people.

               During federal and local election campaigns until the election day, all governmental advertising shall be suspended, no matter it belongs to federal, state or municipal government, or to the Federal District government or to any other governmental agency. The only exceptions shall be: a) informative campaigns carried out by electoral authorities, b) educational and health campaigns and c) civil protection campaigns in the event of emergencies.

               Electoral commission , Radio , Television

               The duration of the electoral campaign when there are elections for the President of the Republic, senators and representatives shall be of ninety days. The duration of the electoral campaign shall be sixty days for the year that only representatives will be elected. Never the duration of run-up to the election campaign shall exceed two-thirds of the period granted for electoral campaigns.

               Infringement of these provisions by parties, private individuals or legal entities will be punished according to the law.

               Electoral commission
               1. The National Electoral Institute is an autonomous entity, which is endowed with legal personality and its own assets. The legislative branch, the national political parties and the citizens shall participate in the integration of the governing bodies of the Institute, according to the terms provided by law. The basic principles that guide the functions and performance of the Institute are: certainty, legality, independence, impartiality, objectivity and maximum publicity.

               The National Electoral Institute shall have electoral jurisdiction and independent character regarding its decisions and functioning, and its performance shall be professional. National Electoral Institute structure shall include managerial, executive, technical and surveillance organs. The General Council will be the directive and executive body, it will be formed with one President of the Electoral Council and ten Electoral Councilors with the right to vote and participate in the debate; in addition, congressional Councilors, representatives of the political parties and an Executive Secretary, these will participate in the debate but will not be able to vote. Law shall regulate the organization and functioning of the Institute’s organs, the relationship between them and the relationship between them and the local electoral entities. The executive and technical organs shall employ the qualified personnel necessary to execute its attributions. The internal comptroller office shall be in charge of the accountability and surveillance procedures of all the incomes and expenses of the Institute, this office must be granted with managerial and technical autonomy to do so. The internal working relations and procedures with the public servants shall be regulated by the dispositions in the electoral law and the statute that the General Council approves. The surveillance organ of the electoral register [padrón electoral] must be formed mainly with representatives of the national political parties. During the election day, citizens must be in charge of the directive organs at the poll stations.

               All the sessions of the directive and collegiate organs in the institution shall be public in the terms described by the law.

               The Institute shall have an electoral office that is legally vested with public trust to attest for any electoral acts. The law will describe its attributions, powers and functioning.

               1. The House of Representatives will present an agreement for the election of a President of the Electoral Council and the Electoral Councilors that will shall contain a public call, the stages of the process and the time limits, as well as the procedures to install a technical committee for the evaluation of candidates, this committee shall be formed with seven persons with professional recognition, three of this persons shall be nominated by the executive political organ at the House of Representatives, two by the National Commission for Human Rights and the remaining two shall be nominated by the National Transparency Agency [organo garante] established by the 6th Article of this Constitution.
               2. The committee shall receive the list of all candidates for Electoral Councilor that present themselves to the call of candidates. The committee shall verify that the candidates fulfill the constitutional and legal requirements, as well as their suitability to occupy the office. It is responsibility of the committee to select five best candidates according to the evaluation for each vacancy, then the relation of candidates will be sent to the executive political organ at the House of Representatives.
               3. The executive political organ at the House of Representatives shall promote agreements for the election of President of the Electoral Council and Electoral Councilors; this organ must hold an election to select the candidate in the terms described by law and then the proposal shall be sent to the floor of the House of Representative for its consideration.
               4. The agreement stated in the item a) shall establish a time limit to have the election in the executive political organ at the House of Representatives, if this organ does not hold an election or do not sends the proposals stated in the previous item, or even when it has done all the proceedings but the required vote threshold has not been met then they shall call for a special session to reach a decision by drawing lots from the list of candidates presented by the evaluation committee.
               5. In the case when no decision has been agreed according to the items c) and d) within the time limits described in item a), the Supreme Court of Justice, in a public hearing, shall make the election by drawing lots from the list of candidates presented by the evaluation committee.

               Given the absolute absence of the President of the Electoral Council or from any of the Electoral Councilors during the first six years of their term in office, a substitute shall be elected to finish the corresponding period of the vacancy. If the absence happens during the last three years of the office period a new Electoral Councilor shall be elected for a new office period.

               Reference to science

               The President of the Electoral Council and the Electoral Councilors shall not have another employment or hold any other office or commission with exception of those that represent the General Council or the non-remunerated positions in academic, scientific, research, cultural or philanthropic associations.

               The head of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Institute shall be designated by the vote of two thirds of the present members of the House of Representatives and by proposal of the public institutions of superior education, according to the terms described by law. The Comptroller General shall remain in office for six years and may only be reelected once. This office shall be administratively dependent of the General Council and will maintain the technical coordination with the Superior Comptroller General.

               The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by two-thirds of the General Council after his nomination by the President of the Electoral Council.

               The law shall establish the requirements that every individual must meet in order to be appointed as the President of the Electoral Council, Electoral Councilor, the Internal Comptroller or the Executive Secretary of the National Electoral Institute. Those individuals having served as President of the Electoral Council, Electoral Councilor or Executive Secretary may not hold a position in those public offices or powers where they were involved in the election of the members of that office or power, nor they can be hired by the executive organs of political parties or being candidates of public office for the next two years after their time in office at the Institute have concluded.

               Congressional Councilors shall be appointed by the parliamentary groups with party affiliation in any of the two Chambers of Congress, at a ratio of one per each parliamentary group notwithstanding their recognition in both Chambers of the Congress.

               1. For the federal and local electoral processes:
                  1. Electoral training;
                  Electoral districts
                  1. The rights and prerogatives that the candidates and political parties have access to;
                  2. The preparation for the election day;
                  3. Document printing and the production of electoral material;
                  4. The count and scrutiny of the votes according to the terms established by law;
                  5. Declaring the validity of the election and issuing the electoral certification for the elected deputies and senators;
                  6. The count of the votes for President of the Mexican United States in every uninominal electoral districts;
                  7. Others established by law.

                  The National Electoral Institute may assume, by agreement with the competent authorities at the local entities that ask for, the organization of the local electoral processes in the terms that the applicable legislation states. By petition of the political parties and using their monetary prerogative, the institute may also organize their internal elections to elect their leadership.

                  The financial accountability and supervision of the political parties and the candidates’ campaigns shall be responsibility of the General Council of the National Electoral Institute. The law shall detail the General Council attributions for that specific function as well as the creation of the technical organs, dependent of it, in charge of the surveillance and proceedings to establish the corresponding sanctions. For the accomplishment of this function, the General Council is not limited by banking, fiscal or fiduciary secrecy and shall be supported and assisted by the local and federal authorities.

                  In case that the National Electoral Institute delegates the accountability and supervision functions, its technical organ shall be entitled to the attributions of the previous paragraph to avoid the limitation of its functions.

                  1. The rights and prerogatives that the candidates and political parties have access to;
                  2. Civic education;
                  3. Preparation for the election day;
                  4. Document printing and the production of electoral material;
                  5. Count and scrutiny of the votes according to the terms established by law;
                  6. Declaring the validity of the election and issuing the electoral certification for the elected local officers;
                  7. Count and scrutiny for the election of the local executive power;
                  8. Preliminary results, opinion and results surveys, electoral observation and rapid counts according to the guidelines established in the previous part;
                  9. Organization, development, count and announcement of the results in the corresponding civic participation means provided by the local legislation;
                  10. Every other function not reserved to the National Electoral Institute;
                  11. Others that the law establishes.

                  According to the postulates established by the law and with the approval of a majority of at least eight votes at the General Council, the National Electoral Institute may:

                  1. Directly assume the execution of activities regarding the electoral functions that corresponds to the local electoral organs;
                  2. Devolve in the local organs the attributions described in the section a) from part B of this article without giving up the right to resume its direct exercise at any moment;
                  3. Bring to its knowledge any matter competence of the local electoral organs when its transcendence or importance requires so or when the matter shall be used to establish an interpretation criterion.

                  The National Electoral Institute shall have the attribution to appoint or remove the members of the executive organ at the local public organs in the terms established by this constitution.

                  In the electoral matters, legal or constitutional appeals will not result in the suspension of the appealed resolution or act.

                  When the campaign expenses exceed five percent of the total amount authorized
                  Radio , Television

                  The previous violations shall be presented in a physical and objective manner. Violations shall be presumed to be determinant when the voting difference between the first and second candidate is less than five percent.

                  In case a nullification of the election, an extraordinary election shall be announced and the rebuked person will not be able to run for office.

                  CHAPTER II. Composition of the Federation and Mexican Territory

                  Article 42

                  National territory is composed of:

                  1. The territory belonging to the states.
                  2. The territory of islands, including the reefs and cays in adjacent seas.
                  3. The territory of the islands of Guadalupe and Revillagigedo located in the Pacific Ocean.
                  4. The continental shelf and the seabed of the islands, cays and reefs.
                  International law International law

                  Article 43

                  The Mexican territory is comprised of the following states: Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatán, Zacatecas and the Federal District.

                  National capital

                  Article 44

                  The Mexico City is the Federal District and the capital of the United Mexican States. Mexico City is seat of the federal government and the Powers of the Union. It shall be integrated by its current territory and in the event that federal government has to be moved to another place, Mexico City will be a part of the State of Valle de México. The Congress shall set down the limits and territorial extension for the new State.

                  Article 45

                  The states will keep their current borders and extensions, as long as there is not a controversy about it.

                  Supreme court powers

                  Article 46

                  The States can deal with their respective limits by friendly agreements among each other at any time; however, these arrangements will not be effective without the approval of the Senate.

                  Should there not be an agreement referred in the above paragraph, and at the request of any of the conflicting parties, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation will know, substantiate and resolve with an unassailable capacity, disputes on territory limits that take place between States, and under the terms of section I of article 105 of this Constitution.

                  Article 47

                  The State of Nayarit shall have the territorial area and boundaries that presently comprise the territory of Tepic.

                  Article 48

                  Federal government shall be in charge of: a) all the islands, cays and reefs within the adjacent seas belonging to national territory; b) the continental shelf; c) the seabed of islands, cays and reefs; d) territorial seas; e) inland maritime waters and f) the space located above the national territory; except by the islands that belong to the states.

                  TITLE THREE.

                  CHAPTER I. Division of Powers

                  Article 49

                  The political authority or power is divided into the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary branches. Two or more of these powers cannot be united in one single person or corporation, nor shall the legislative branch be vested in one single person, except for the case where extraordinary powers are granted to the President of the Republic as provided in Article 29. In no other case, except as provided under the second paragraph of Article 131, extraordinary powers to legislate shall be granted.

                  CHAPTER II. The Legislature

                  Structure of legislative chamber(s)

                  Article 50

                  The legislative power is vested in the Congress of the United Mexican States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

                  Section I. Elections and Inauguration of the Congress

                  Term length for first chamber

                  The House of Representatives is composed by representatives of the nation. All of them shall be elected every three years. For each representative, a substitute shall be elected.

                  Size of first chamber , First chamber selection

                  Article 52

                  The House of Representatives shall be integrated by 300 members, who shall be elected according to the principle of majority voting through the uninominal voting system in all the electoral districts; and the remaining 200 members shall be chosen according to the principle of proportional representation, using a system of regional lists voted in multimember districts.

                  Electoral districts

                  Article 53

                  The borders separating the 300 uninominal electoral districts from each other shall be set down after dividing the country’s population by the number of districts, taking into account the most recent census. Each state shall have at least two representatives elected under the principle of majority voting.

                  In order to elect 200 representatives under the principle of proportional representation, using a system of regional lists, five multimember electoral districts shall be established in the country. The law shall set down the ways in which such territorial division will be made.

                  First chamber selection

                  Article 54

                  The election of the 200 representatives under the principle of proportional representation, using a system of regional lists, shall be subjected to the following principles:

                  1. To register its regional list, a political party must prove that it participates with candidates to the House of Representatives to be elected by the principle of majority voting in at least two hundred uninominal districts.
                  2. Every political party attaining at least three percent of the total votes casted for the regional lists at the multimember constituency shall be entitled to have representatives under the principle of proportional representation.
                  3. The political party complying with the two principles above established, shall obtain the number of representatives from the list corresponding to each multimember district, according to the way the people vote on that constituency. The order established in the regional lists shall be respected to appoint the candidates.
                  4. No political party shall have more than 300 representatives, regardless the principle by which they have been elected.
                  5. The political parties shall never have a number of representatives by both principles, which considered in percentage of the House, exceeds by eight points the percentage they have obtained in vote. This restriction shall not be applied to the political party that, due to its electoral victories at uninominal districts, obtains a percentage of seats greater than the addition of the percentage obtained in national vote plus eight percent.
                  6. After that seats have been distributed according to previous paragraphs III, IV and V, the leftover proportional representation seats shall be awarded to the remaining political parties which have a right in each one of the multimember districts, in direct proportion to the national and effective votes received by these parties. The law shall regulate procedures and formalities to apply this article’s principles.
                  Eligibility for first chamber , Eligibility for second chamber

                  Article 55

                  Requirements to be a Representative:

                  To be a Mexican national by birth in the full exercise of his rights.
                  Minimum age for first chamber

                  In order to qualify for registration in the regional lists of multimember districts, the candidate must be a native of one of the states included in such multimember district, or be a resident of that district for at least six months prior to the date of the election.

                  Residence is not lost in cases where absence is because he/she has been elected to a public office. Restrictions on the armed forces Eligibility for cabinet

                  Not to be in charge of one of the organs, granted with autonomy by this Constitution. Not to be Secretary or Undersecretary of State. Not to be in charge of one of the decentralized organs of the federal government, unless the candidate is definitely separated from his duties at least 90 days before election date takes place.

                  Not to be Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice, Magistrate, Secretary at the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Mexican Federation, President of the Council or Electoral Councilor in the General Council, Local or District Councils at the National Electoral Institute, nor Executive Secretary, Executive Director or directive personnel of this Institute, unless the candidate has definitely separated from his duties at least three years before election date takes place.

                  State Governors and the Federal District Mayor cannot be elected to represent the states over which they have jurisdiction, even though they definitely separate themselves from their duties.

                  State Secretaries, the Secretaries of the Federal District, the federal or state judges, the judges of the Federal District, the mayors in the states and persons in charge of any political-administrative entity in the Federal District, cannot be elected in the states where they exercise their respective duties, unless they resign their positions definitively at least ninety days before the election.

                  Second chamber selection , Size of second chamber

                  Article 56

                  The Senate shall be composed of 128 senators, two Senators from each state and the Federal District elected in accordance to the principle of majority voting and one Senator shall be apportioned to the largest minority. For this purpose, political parties must register a list with two sets of candidates. The largest minority seat shall be granted to the set of candidates heading the list of the political party that shall have attained the second place in the number of votes casted in the corresponding state.

                  The remaining thirty-two senators shall be elected under the principle of proportional representation, through the system of lists voted in one sole national multimember district. The law shall establish the regulations and formalities that shall be applied for these purposes.

                  Term length of second chamber

                  The Senate shall be totally renewed every six years.