Hidalgo Congress to redo indigenous consultation without external firms

The Congress of Hidalgo is preparing to redo an indigenous consultation process following an invalidation by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN). The previous 2022 exercise, which involved a contract worth over 9.7 million pesos with a private firm, was declared invalid because it failed to meet the legal parameters required for consulting indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities.

To avoid previous errors, the Hidalgo Congress will organize the new process internally without hiring external companies. The legislature is collaborating with the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) and various universities. The new plan aims to expand the scope of the consultation from 45 to 84 municipalities and will include interpreters for languages such as Nahuatl and Otomí to ensure proper communication.