Mexico on Sunday hosts an unprecedented election, allowing voters to choose their judges at all levels, in a country where drug cartels and other interests regularly seek to change justice.
The government says a reform that transforms Mexico into the only country in the world to elect all its judges and magistrates with popular votes, needed to overcome deep -rooted corruption and impunity.
However, there is a concern that the judicial system will be politicized and that criminals will become easier to influence the courts by threats and bribery.
Although corruption is already a problem, “there is reason to believe that elections can be easier to penetrate organized crime than other judicial selection methods,” said the United Nations Special Rapporteur Margaret Sattenthwaite about the independence of judges and lawyers.
Judicial elections also “risk that voters will not choose candidates on their merits,” an independent expert told AFP.
The preparation of voting was not accompanied by the kind of violence that is often directed to Mexican politicians.
However, cartels are likely to try to influence the result of the shadows, said Luis Carlos Ugallge, a consultant and former head of the Mexican Election Commission.
“It is logical that the organized criminal groups have appealed to judges and candidates who are important to them,” said Ugalde, Director General of Integalia Consultores, the Director General of Integalia Consultores, told by a round table led by the American dialogue.
Carlota Rama, a lawyer for President Claudia Sheinbaum, said that although the risk of organized crime penetration into state institutions was real, it was already “invisible”.
The new system made it possible to inspect the judges looking better, Ramos said.
– controversial contenders –
The Defensorxs Rights Group has identified about 20 candidates, which she believed to be “high -risk”, including Silvia Delgado, a former lawyer at Joaquin El Chapo, founder of the Sinalaa cartel.
“Every person has the right to advise,” AFP told Delgado, who is a judge in the northern state of Chihuahua.
Fernando Escamilla, who seeks to be a judge in the northern state of Nuev Leon, was a lawyer for Miguel Angelo Trevin, a former leader of Los Zetas cartel, famous for his cruelty.
Another desire for a judge in the state of Durang spent almost six years in a prison in the US for drug crimes.
“I’ve never sold myself as a perfect candidate,” Leopold Chavez said in the video.
– “Good reputation” –
On Sunday, voters will choose about 880 federal judges, including the Supreme Court judges – as well as hundreds of local judges and magistrates. The next election of the remaining election will be held in 2027.
Candidates are believed to have a degree of law, the experience of legal affairs and what is called “good reputation” is not a criminal record.
Sheinbaum has signs that many voters may remain aside, partly due to the complexity of the exercise.
“We don’t even know where the voting stations will be,” said the 63 -year -old Teresa Woe, which, despite being a lawyer, admitted that he was not sure how to vote or who to choose.
To do a good job, voters “should spend hours and hours exploring the experience and profiles of each of the hundred candidates,” said David Shirk, a professor at the University of San Diego.
He believes that most of the corruption in the Mexican judicial system is in law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.
“It is much easier to bribe the prosecutor and avoid charges than wrapped in court and then influence the judge,” Shirk said, following the Justice in the Mexican investigation project.
Judicial reforms were supported by the precursor of Sheinbaum and the mentor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who often faced the courts and accused them of serving the political and economic elite.
It seems that the main reason for the election is “because Lopez Obrador had grief against judges,” Shirk said.
BUR-DR/NL/TC