A debate with memes: this is how the session went and the rejection of the AMLO Electricity Reform

On the morning of Sunday, April 17, Mexican legislators debated the Electric Reform of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro. Although, since previous days, opposition groups had expressed their disagreement with the initiative of the Tabasco president, the discussion forum was filled with ups and downs that were reflected in the memes that social media users shared in order, as is the Mexican's custom, to approach the dizzying situation with humor.

From 9:00am, deputies from the various political parties began to enter the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies and after 10:30am the session began in the midst of an obviously tense atmosphere. This was how between dimes and diretes began the controversial debate, which was shocked from the beginning by situations that stood out, such as the cries of “sold” with those who received the deputy Carlos Miguel Aysa, the request of the morenista Andrea Chávez asked Margarita Zavala to refrain from voting on the bill and the way in which some legislators defended their position on the initiative.

The debate on the Electricity Reform continued for long hours of arguments and breaks, until shortly after 11:00 p.m., Mexican deputies gave the Federal Executive's initiative sufficiently debated, so they proceeded to the vote in general and in particular on the non-reserved articles.

To this end, the president of the Plenary, Sergio Gutiérrez Luna, of the bench of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) reported that ten minutes would be given, and then a count of the total votes would be made, and their abstentions would be made.

After the discussion in plenary, the deputies voted in general and in particular with a total of 275 in favor, 223 against and 0 abstentions, so the bill was scrapped .

After long hours of sitting and the bitter taste left by the vote for the Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (Morena) party and its allies, there was an even more hostile atmosphere in the San Lázaro precinct.

While Morena and Aliados (PT and Green Ecologist Party of Mexico) shouted “sold”, members of the opposition (PAN, PRI, PRD) sang the national anthem. However, on social networks groups opposed to Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his administration celebrated that the Electricity Reform was not approved and even mocked the president's supporters through the hashtag Vitacilina, referring to the popular ointment that serves to relieve burning burns or wounds.

In this regard, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador anticipated through his social networks that he has prepared a “plan b” for the case of the negative vote in the Congress on the Electricity Reform.

AMLO assured that it will be this Monday, April 18, 2022 in the daily morning from Palacio Nacional, in front of the Mexican press, where he explains what will proceed after receiving a refusal in his reform project.

“I already said it in my report on Tuesday: no matter what happens, we are already shielded against treason. Tomorrow I will explain it again,” explained the Tabasco president.

The plan referred to by Andrés Manuel López Obrador is the draft decree amending and adding various precepts of the Mining Law, which reached the Chamber of Deputies on Sunday, April 17, while the Electricity Reform was being discussed in plenary session, which was received by Angelica García Pompa, technical secretary of the presidency of the board of directors.

For the discussion, from the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, led by Morenist Sergio García Luna, a blended session was called on Monday, April 18 at 12:30 p.m.

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