MEXICO CITY — President Claudia Sheinbaum has criticized evangelical groups for awarding recognitions to members of the PRI and PAN political parties within the Chamber of Deputies, emphasizing the legal boundaries governing religious participation in government affairs.

During a morning press conference, Sheinbaum stated that the legislative chamber should not serve as a venue for such events, insisting that religious organizations must operate within established legal limits.

“The law is very clear. I do not believe that the Chamber of Deputies should be the venue where these types of events are held,” Sheinbaum told reporters. “They can do it outside, elsewhere. It is very clear where religious organizations can and cannot participate.”

The president further noted that Mexico’s legal framework is specifically designed to prevent the undue influence of religious groups on political candidates, a dynamic she observed has played out differently in other parts of Latin America. She referenced Mexico’s historical trajectory—including the era of Benito Juárez, the rise of liberal movements, and a civil war that stripped religious institutions of certain privileges—as the foundation for current protections.

“There was a reform; here there was Juárez, here there were Mexican liberals. There was a civil war related to this issue that removed privileges,” Sheinbaum explained, adding that a subsequent 1992 reform addressed the country’s relationship with the Vatican and other religious matters.

She concluded by asserting that Mexico’s legal clarity regarding the participation of religious organizations and ministers in politics provides a level of “certainty” that she claimed is not present in other Latin American countries, which did not undergo the same historical processes.