Legislative Initiative to Combat Extortion with Maximum Rigor
The parliamentary coordinator of Morena in the Chamber of Deputies, Ricardo Monreal Ávila, has declared the preparation of the General Law against Extortion as an urgent legislative priority. This impulse occurs immediately after the publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation of the constitutional reform that grants the Congress of the Union the express power to create these regulations. The legal framework establishes a peremptory deadline of 180 calendar days, which ends in April 2026, for the discussion, approval and implementation of this specialized legislation.
During a press conference, the legislator emphasized that extortion has emerged as the illicit with the greatest social and economic impact during this year. He stressed that it is the only criminal behavior that shows a sustained upward trend in national crime incidence statistics. For this reason, Monreal announced that he will formally propose to the Justice Commission of the Chamber of Deputies to expedite the construction work on the bill as much as possible. The ambitious objective is that the opinion can be discussed and, where appropriate, approved by the Plenary before the end of the current regular period of sessions, on December 15.
“The period of 180 days is the maximum limit, but we have the institutional capacity to do it sooner. Furthermore, I would urge to accelerate the process in a forceful manner, given the serious current situation. As it is the crime that has impacted citizens the most this year and the only illegal conduct that registers an alarming growth, I consider that it deserves the attention and absolute speed of the legislators. Consequently, I am going to hold conversations with my colleagues on the Justice Commission to evaluate the viability of having a breakthrough substance, or even approval, before the end of this period of sessions”, explained the Morenista leader.
Homologation of Penalties and the Controversy of the Life Chain
One of the central axes of the interrogation after his statement revolved around the unification of criminal sanctions for this crime at the national level and the possible inclusion of the life imprisonment sentence for the most serious cases. Currently, there is a significant legal disparity in the criminal consequences for this crime, which creates an asymmetry in the application of justice depending on the federal entity where the crime is committed.
To illustrate this inconsistency, two paradigmatic cases are presented: in Mexico City, the local penal code contemplates a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for the crime of extortion. In marked contrast, in the State of Mexico, state legislation allows the imposition of life imprisonment for the commission of exactly the same type of crime. This divergence not only affects the principle of legal certainty, but can also influence the strategy of criminal groups, who could choose to operate from jurisdictions with more lenient sanctions.
The future General Law seeks precisely to correct these disparities, establishing uniform criteria and proportional sanctions that apply throughout the national territory. The inclusion of the maximum penalty of life imprisonment is intended for the most serious scenarios, such as extortion carried out by criminal organizations, that involving public servants, or that which has particularly devastating consequences for the victims, such as the loss of their assets or the impairment of their psychological integrity. This approach aims not only to severely punish crime, but also to act as a high-impact deterrent.
The creation of general legislation on this matter represents a crucial step in legislative harmonization and the strengthening of the rule of law. By centralizing and unifying the criteria, the work of ministerial and judicial authorities is facilitated, legal loopholes that can be exploited by crime are eliminated, and victims are offered a more robust and predictable protection framework. The success of this initiative will depend on the ability of legislators to build consensus that allows for a law that is at once rigorous, fair and applicable, setting a fundamental precedent in the fight against one of the scourges that most erodes the security and trust of citizens in institutions.
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