Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum launches national consultation on Indigenous rights law

President Claudia Sheinbaum signed an official decree to start a nationwide consultation on the proposed General Law on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Afro‑Mexicans. The process will involve 69 indigenous peoples, one Afro‑Mexican group and 16,728 registered communities, representing roughly 20 % of Mexico’s population.

The consultation is structured in five stages: an informational phase (1 July – 6 August), a deliberative phase with 82 regional assemblies and seven worktables in cities such as Acapulco, Chihuahua, Monterrey, Guadalajara, La Paz, Tijuana and San Pedro (7 August – 13 September), a study and amendment phase (21 September – 11 October), and the final presentation of the draft bill to the Chamber of Deputies on 12 October, the Day of the Pluricultural Nation.

The draft law seeks to recognize indigenous peoples and Afro‑Mexicans as subjects of public law with legal personality and own patrimony, introduce a collective amparo mechanism, guarantee autonomy, free, prior and informed consent, and allocate a dedicated budget through the Fondo de Aportaciones para la Infraestructura Social (FAISPIAM). The initiative, prepared by the Instituto Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas, marks the first comprehensive federal legislation of its kind in Mexico’s 200‑year history.