Chihuahua business leaders demand autonomous Prosecutor General's Office

The Business Coordinating Council (CCE) of Chihuahua has formally called for the creation of a fully autonomous State Prosecutor General's Office. The business sector argues that granting the agency functional, budgetary, and technical independence is essential to consolidate the rule of law, reduce impunity, and ensure legal certainty by decoupling justice administration from political cycles and electoral interests.

To achieve this, the CCE proposed five strategic pillars:

• Institutional Shielding: Establishing terms for the Prosecutor that do not coincide with the governor's term, prohibiting reelection, and requiring a qualified majority in Congress for removals to prevent discretionary dismissals. • Budgetary Autonomy: Securing a non-reducible financial floor in the state budget to prevent political pressure through funding cuts. • Merit-Based Appointment: Implementing a transparent public call for candidates, evaluated by a Citizen Committee composed of civil society, academia, and professional associations, to present a technical shortlist for a two-thirds Congressional vote. • Accountability: Requiring periodic reports to Congress and the public based on auditable metrics regarding impunity and case backlogs. • Professional Career Service: Ensuring job stability and continuous training for prosecutors and forensic experts to maintain technical, non-political investigations.