Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced a pause on diplomatic relations between Mexico, the United States, and Canada amid criticism of his judicial overhaul proposal. The announcement comes after López Obrador’s suggestion included appointing judges to an electoral system, sparking protests and backlash. U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar expressed concern about the risk to democracy and economic relations. Members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee also expressed “deep concern” over the proposal. López Obrador accused Canada of interference and emphasized the importance of respecting Mexico’s sovereignty. The pause will have unspecified effects on diplomatic and economic relations, with the three countries having deep commercial ties. This isn’t the first time López Obrador has suggested a diplomatic pause, as he previously had a similar stance with Spain. Secretary of Foreign Relations Alicia Bárcena supported the pause, labeling it as an “interventionist” policy by the U.S. and Canada. The tensions come as López Obrador prepares to hand over the presidency to Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first woman president-elect.