Next weekend, the state of Durango, deep inside Mexico’s infamous Golden Triangle, will make historical past within the nation’s first-ever judicial elections. But the race is much from simple. Among these on the poll is Leopoldo Chavez, a federal choose candidate who spent almost six years behind bars in a U.S. jail for smuggling methamphetamine.
Chavez’s candidacy starkly illustrates the sweeping and contentious judicial reform pushed by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and backed by present President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Designed to dismantle a system riddled with corruption, the reform permits voters unprecedented energy to pick out judges instantly. Yet critics warn it dangers dragging Mexico’s fragile rule of legislation into deeper turmoil.
Durango’s drug-war scars run deep. The area is a stronghold for cartels cultivating marijuana and opium poppies, making Chavez’s previous a lightning rod for debate. “I’ve never sold myself as the perfect candidate,” Chavez stated in a Facebook video. “I have nothing to hide and I served my time.”
Durango is only one flashpoint. In Jalisco, Francisco Hernandez is working to change into a prison Justice of the Peace regardless of being ousted beforehand for allegations of sexual abuse and corruption – accusations he dismisses as “slander and defamation.” Nearby in Nuevo Leon, Fernando Escamilla campaigns for a federal prison choose seat, brazenly embracing his previous as authorized adviser to the violent Los Zetas cartel, arguing his experience in extradition legislation proves his functionality slightly than tarnishes his status.
These candidacies elevate alarms amongst human rights teams, judicial associations, and lawmakers. Defensorxs, a Mexican rights group, has flagged at the least 20 candidates with histories linked to prison offenses, corruption allegations, or cartel ties. Among them is Silvia Delgado, a charismatic single mom and protection legal professional who famously represented Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in his 2016 trial, commonly visiting him in jail earlier than his extradition to the U.S.
Delgado defends her function firmly: “I’m not corrupt. Representing someone does not mean guilt. I am proud to have upheld my professional duty.” Yet Defensorxs’ president, Miguel Meza, warns her case exemplifies the reform’s vetting failures, accusing the federal government of dashing the election with out thorough background checks – particularly on overseas convictions or shoppers represented.
The overhaul additionally shrinks the Supreme Court from 11 to 9 justices, shortens judicial phrases, removes age and expertise minimums, and introduces a disciplinary tribunal critics say is woefully insufficient for policing a judiciary of fifty,000 members.
Former U.S. ambassador Ken Salazar labeled it a risk to democracy, warning it might erode judicial independence and open doorways to organized crime affect.
Amidst the turmoil, electoral authorities have refused to take away questionable candidates earlier than the vote, promising solely to behave afterward if eligibility points come up.
Meanwhile, most sitting Supreme Court justices plan to resign slightly than stand for election below the brand new system.
Source: www.dailysabah.com