{"id":2369,"date":"2025-04-28T08:35:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T14:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/?p=2369"},"modified":"2025-04-28T08:47:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T14:47:27","slug":"the-telecom-reform-and-the-value-of-democratic-deliberation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/the-telecom-reform-and-the-value-of-democratic-deliberation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Telecom Reform and the Value of Democratic Deliberation"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Juan Larrosa, April 28, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

Historically, the relationship between politics and the broadcasting and telecommunications industries has been complicated in Mexico. Throughout the 20th century, we lived under a semi-authoritarian regime where companies like Televisa culturally and informatively dominated national life, first as a monopoly, and later, during the 1990s, as part of a duopoly.<\/p>\n

The story in telecommunications is similar. Initially, Telmex operated as a state monopoly, controlling the entire fixed-line telephone infrastructure. It was later privatized and sold to Carlos Slim, becoming a private monopoly in telephone services and across other telecommunications sectors.<\/p>\n

Achieving a reform to democratize these sectors took decades. Civil society and academia drove changes that, although imperfect and subject to criticism, culminated in the constitutional reform of 2013 and the new secondary law of 2014. Thanks to these efforts, while dominant companies like Televisa, Telmex, and TV Azteca still exist, they no longer operate as absolute monopolies. We have gradually witnessed a diversification and deconcentration of the market.<\/p>\n

Recently, following an advertisement paid for by the United States government\u2014in which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared on Mexican television warning that illegal migration from Mexico would not be tolerated\u2014the government of Claudia Sheinbaum proposed a modification to the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law to restrict the purchase of airtime for foreign propaganda purposes. Up to this point, the intention seems legitimate and reasonable.<\/p>\n

However, what followed reveals troubling dynamics. According to various media reports, the government had already prepared a broader reform proposal for the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law, though it had not planned to present it yet. Taking advantage of the situation, the government decided to fast-track the process by sending the initiative to the Chamber of Deputies for swift approval.<\/p>\n

Here arises a serious procedural issue worth analyzing. In a democracy, the Executive Branch can propose laws but not approve them directly. That responsibility belongs to the Legislative Branch, whose fundamental duty is to deliberate. Democratic deliberation is not a mere formality; it is essential to ensure that the interests and perspectives of a pluralistic society are heard, negotiated, and, where possible, incorporated into legislation.<\/p>\n

When an initiative is fast-tracked, this deliberative process is canceled. This weakens the quality of the laws and, more importantly, impoverishes democracy itself. Deliberation also detects flaws, errors, or risks in legislation before it is enacted.<\/p>\n

Beyond the specific intentions of this reform\u2014which warrant a separate discussion\u2014the truly concerning issue is that once again, significant changes were attempted to be passed without dialogue, public debate, and listening to the diverse voices of civil society, experts, affected industries, and citizens.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, in response to criticism, the president withdrew the proposal temporarily and called for a broader discussion process. At first glance, this is a good sign. However, recent experience urges caution. Too often, such calls for “opening spaces for dialogue” are reduced to mere symbolic gestures.<\/p>\n

As citizens, we must demand that this time be different. The new telecommunications and broadcasting legislation should result not from unilateral imposition but from genuine debate and collective construction.<\/p>\n

We must not forget that the advances made in this sector\u2014the right to information, the fight against monopolies, the opening of public and community media\u2014resulted from decades of civil society struggle. Legislators and the president have a democratic duty to honor and respect that history.<\/p>\n

This text was originally read on the NTR Radio newscast on April 28, 2025, hosted by journalist Sergio Ren\u00e9 de Dios Corona.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Juan Larrosa, April 28, 2025 Historically, the relationship between politics and the broadcasting and telecommunications industries has been complicated in Mexico. Throughout the 20th century, we lived under a semi-authoritarian regime where companies like Televisa culturally and informatively dominated national life, first as a monopoly, and later, during the 1990s, as part of a duopoly. The story in telecommunications… Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147,153,146],"tags":[161,173,184],"class_list":["post-2369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-monopolies-and-communication","category-political-communication","category-the-telecommunications-battle-in-mexico","tag-carlos-slim-en","tag-telecommunications-war","tag-televisa-en","xfolkentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":294,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/the-struggle-for-telecommunications-in-mexico-towards-the-integration-to-a-post-industrial-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":2369,"position":0},"title":"The Struggle for Telecommunications in Mexico: Towards the Integration to a Post-Industrial World","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"19 September, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"During the last decade, telecommunications and television have been slowly changing in Mexico. Historically, a few companies have monopolized both industries. Televisa controlled the radio and television industries and Grupo Carso the telecommunication sector. These companies, controlled by Emilio Azcarraga Jean and Carlos Slim, respectively, gain a lot of political\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Monopolies and Communication"","block_context":{"text":"Monopolies and Communication","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/political-economy-of-communication-and-culture\/monopolies-and-communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An\u00e1lisis Plural Journal","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Untitled.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Untitled.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Untitled.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Untitled.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":520,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/a-critique-of-the-mexican-broadcasting-and-telecommunications-legal-system-from-a-local-perspective\/","url_meta":{"origin":2369,"position":1},"title":"A Critique of the Mexican Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legal System from a Local Perspective","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"5 September, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"A new Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Act was enacted in Mexico in July of 2014. This Act is the outcome of different political and economic disputes in Mexico, such as the control of the radio and television industries, as well as the the control of political communication and journalism. Therefore,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Media Observatories"","block_context":{"text":"Media Observatories","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/media-observatories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Informe.final_.2014.jpg?fit=765%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Informe.final_.2014.jpg?fit=765%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Informe.final_.2014.jpg?fit=765%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Informe.final_.2014.jpg?fit=765%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2883,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/the-concept-of-power-after-tapalpa\/","url_meta":{"origin":2369,"position":2},"title":"The Concept of Power After Tapalpa","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"23 February, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa Today I had planned to speak about measles. However, it is impossible not to turn our attention to what has occurred in the country over the last 48 hours following the arrest of \"El Mencho,\" leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Propaganda"","block_context":{"text":"Propaganda","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/propaganda-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":976,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/una-agenda-para-los-observatorios-de-medios-en-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":2369,"position":3},"title":"A Research-Agenda for Media Observatories in Mexico","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"30 April, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This article was published in Revista Z\u00f3calo (May, 2017). If you want to read the article, click here. \u00a0 In historical terms, media observatories were born in the late 1990s in Brazil and at the beginning of the following decade, in 2002, at the World Social Forum. However, the ideas\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Media Observatories"","block_context":{"text":"Media Observatories","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/media-observatories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Revista-Z%C3%B3calo-Mayo-2016.png?fit=965%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Revista-Z%C3%B3calo-Mayo-2016.png?fit=965%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Revista-Z%C3%B3calo-Mayo-2016.png?fit=965%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Revista-Z%C3%B3calo-Mayo-2016.png?fit=965%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":897,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/new-article-within-tipodos-monograph-on-social-networks-politics-and-democracy-towards-hybrid-political-communication\/","url_meta":{"origin":2369,"position":4},"title":"New article within Tipodos’ monograph on Social Networks, Politics and Democracy. Towards Hybrid Political Communication","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"24 March, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In recent weeks the Catalonian journal Tripods published the monograph \"Social Networks, Politics and Democracy. 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Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"9 March, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa, March 9, 2026 Two weeks after #22F in Guadalajara, there is still much to analyze. In recent times, it has been said\u2014rightly so\u2014that criminal cartels have developed a high level of sophistication in their capacity for force and violence: they possess weaponry comparable to, and sometimes more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Political Communication"","block_context":{"text":"Political Communication","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/political-communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4Hsnc-Cd","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2369"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2370,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369\/revisions\/2370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}