Silvia Delgado has not been convicted of any crime, is not facing any charges and is not under investigation – whether over her links to El Chapo or anything else.
It’s not even about whether she’s a good person or a bad person,” says Mr Meza, referring to Silvia Delgado.
It is a company that has criminal and economic interests which are being resolved in the justice system.
Its critics maintain that electing every judge in Mexico amounts to the politicisation of the country’s justice system.
“This vote will grant the justice system true independence as it’s not chosen by the President of the Republic but elected by the people of Mexico to represent them.”
She is now running for office after standing up for drug lord El Chapo.
Six hours ago.
Will Grant.
A correspondent for Mexico and Central America.
From Ciudad Juárez, reporting.
Silvia Delgado distributes pamphlets while swerving between cars in traffic near the Bridge of the Americas, which connects Mexico and the United States.
“I’m standing for penal judge,” she confidently declares. Cast your ballot for the candidate listed at number 12.
With pleasure, most people roll down their windows and take one of her flyers. Silvia Delgado, however, is not your typical candidate in Sunday’s rather unusual election, which is the first of two votes that will be used to elect the entire Mexican judiciary by direct ballot.
In the brief biography on her pamphlets, the name of her most well-known client—the infamous drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán—is conspicuously missing.
Due to her prior defense of the Sinaloa Cartel leader, her detractors claim she should not be allowed to serve as a judge. She doesn’t think much of that idea.
At the first hint of a conflict of interest, she raises her heckles and responds, “Why should it? For doing my job?”.
“Why should I be deemed illegitimate for protecting people’s individual guarantees? For putting up a strong technical defense for a human being?” she queries.
Regardless of her connections to El Chapo or anything else, Silvia Delgado has not been found guilty of any crimes, is not being investigated, and is not facing any charges.
However, she was listed as one of 19 “high risk candidates” in the election by Defensorxs, a prominent human rights and transparency organization in Mexico. In addition to Ms. Delgado, the list also contains a candidate convicted of drug trafficking and another accused of planning violence against journalists.
In the opinion of Miguel Alfonso Meza, director of Defensorxs, the so-called “high risk candidates” pose a threat to the credibility of Mexico’s legal system.
“Even if they were only a lawyer, it is extremely difficult for someone who has previously worked with a cartel to leave. It doesn’t even matter if she’s a good or bad person,” Mr. Meza says of Silvia Delgado.
“‘El Chapo’ Guzman is not the only member of the Sinaloa Cartel. The company in question has both criminal and economic interests that are being addressed by the legal system. Due to her prior employment with the cartel, they may exert pressure on her to demonstrate loyalty. “.”.
When Miguel Alfonso Meza and Defensorxs are brought up, Silvia Delgado becomes noticeably tense.
She lashes out, saying, “It’s completely stupid,” and asserts that she has challenged them to “dig into her past as much as they like.”. She also rejects their primary charge that she was paid with drug money and that serving as a judge could jeopardize her integrity.
“How can you demonstrate that? I received a payment from attorneys on his legal team that was equivalent to any other monthly payment I would normally receive. I am not, in any way, his sister or daughter. As a professional, I am. “.”.
From local magistrates to all nine justices of the Supreme Court, Ms. Delgado is vying for one of over 7,500 judicial positions that are up for grabs.
During the debate, the judicial reform sparked a strike by legal system employees and widespread demonstrations by law students. Electing all Mexican judges, according to its detractors, would politicize the nation’s legal system.
Miguel Alfonso Meza asserts, “It’s a political attack [on the judiciary] of course.”.
Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador disliked being subject to judicial power restrictions. The only way they were able to resolve the situation was to fire every judge in the nation when the pressure got too high and the restrictions were too tight,” he continues.
Although this reform was passed prior to President Claudia Sheinbaum taking office, she is a strong advocate for it, and polls indicate that the public also supports it.
Advocates point out that many of the judges in the US, Switzerland, and Bolivia are elected. However, Mexico will elect all of them, making it the first nation in history to do so. Investor apprehension about the possibility of the ruling party controlling the legislative branch, the judiciary, and the presidency has left markets unconvinced.
“The agreements and negotiations judges have to make with political actors… in order to get the support they need to win the elections” is what Miguel Alfonso Meza thinks will cause issues.
Olivia Aguirre Bonilla is one of the 64 applicants vying for a Supreme Court seat. She is also from Ciudad Juárez, a notoriously dangerous border city, and has experience in both human rights law and as an activist against gender-based violence.
Although Aguirre Bonilla admits that there have been concerns raised about the possible politicization of Mexico’s legal system, she sees the vote as a chance to significantly alter a broken, dishonest, and nepotisticjudicial system.
She asserts that “I believe that every Mexican citizen is politicized and involved in public life.”.
The distinction here is that, for the first time in history, our “untouchable” legal system—which was untouchable due to its control by privilege and the elites—will be put to a vote. By using the popular vote, it will become democratic. “.”.
The judiciary lacks the legitimacy of the legislative and executive branches, according to Aguirre Bonilla, and many of its members were appointed through family ties and influence.
Because the Mexican people elect the judiciary to represent them rather than the president of the republic, this vote will give it true independence. “,”.
