The Mexican Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Personal Data Protection (INAI) filed a complaint with the Supreme Court, arguing that the President’s new decree classifying infrastructure projects as matters of national security violates the constitutional right to know. The institute asserts that this decree mirrors a previously challenged agreement already declared unconstitutional in principle. By shielding major projects like the Maya Train from scrutiny, the government restricts public access to vital information, undermining transparency principles essential for democratic accountability. The core issue revolves around the legal suspension of effects granted by the Supreme Court. Since the final effects of the previous ruling remain undetermined, the new decree operates in violation of this ongoing suspension. The INAI emphasizes that classifying these works as secret impedes society’s ability to monitor government actions and spending, creating a dangerous precedent for secrecy. This situation highlights the tension between executive power and the legal mechanisms designed to protect information rights. This case is critical for open data because it demonstrates how political decisions can actively suppress data availability under the guise of national security. It underscores the necessity of robust legal frameworks to prevent the arbitrary withholding of public information. For developers and citizens relying on open government data, such decrees threaten the very foundation of accessible, transparent public records, making legal challenges vital for maintaining data integrity and public trust.
Source: zocalo.com.mxPublished on 2023-05-20
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