Mexico news: Protesters storm senate [Video]

MEXICO CITY –

Mexico’s Senate paused debate of a controversial judicial overhaul on Tuesday after protesters broke into the building, adding drama to already tense discussions of the reform, which critics fear could undermine the country’s rule of law.

Senate President Jose Gerardo Fernandez said the session was “suspended” and asked lawmakers to remain calm as demonstrators flooded the upper level of the chamber, chanting “traitors” in opposition to the reform, which has prompted weeks of widespread protest.

Mexico’s major trading partners, the United States and Canada, have warned the changes could undermine the trade pact of the three countries, the USMCA, and negatively impact investment.

The backbone of the constitutional reform, proposed by outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, calls for the election by popular vote of more than 6,500 judges and magistrates, including the Supreme Court.

Lopez Obrador and President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum have vigorously defended the reform as essential for holding …