THE NEWS
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The Puebla State Congress approved, by majority vote, the constitutional modifications on Sunday required under the energy reform, becoming the decisive 16th state to ratify the constitutional changes.
The energy reform, approved by the Mexican Congress last Thursday, modifies Articles 27 and 28 of the Mexican Constitution, which establish that the country’s hydrocarbon resources are the sole property of the nation, therefore opening up state-run oil company Pemex to increased private investment. Supporters hope this will allow Mexico to take avantage of oil extraction techniques it currently lacks the technology for, such as offshore drilling and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”).
As of press time, Chiapas, Querétaro, Veracruz, Mexico State, Hidalgo, Durango, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Sonora, Coahuila, Jalisco, Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Tamaulipas and Puebla had ratified the constitutional changes, making the reform legally valid, though more states will likely ratify the reform to prevent legal challenges from being launched.
Article 135 of the Mexican Constitution establishes that a two-thirds vote is required in Congress to pass a constitutional reform, which must then be ratified by a majority of state legislatures.
According to Puebla National Action Party (PAN) Deputy Rafael von Raesfeld Porras, Mexico has an enormous energy potential, but because of the country’s legal framework, this has largely gone to waste.
Puebla Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Parliamentary Coordinator Ernesto Leyva said that the reform will allow Mexico to move forward by restructuring its energy sector.
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