2LT International News

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico: In a first-of-its-kind judicial election in Mexico, more than 5,000 candidates are vying for over 840 federal positions — including Supreme Court seats. But concerns are mounting as several candidates on the June 1 ballot have ties to organized crime, corruption allegations, or past criminal convictions.

Among them is Leopoldo Chavez, a candidate for federal judge in Durango, who served nearly six years in a U.S. prison for smuggling over 4 kilograms of methamphetamines in 2015. “I’ve never sold myself as the perfect candidate,” Chavez said in a Facebook video. He declined to speak to Reuters but said he had nothing to hide.

In Jalisco, Francisco Hernandez is running to be a criminal magistrate — despite having been previously dismissed as a judge following allegations of sexual abuse and corruption. “Let the people judge me,” Hernandez told Reuters, calling the charges “slander and defamation.”

Fernando Escamilla, campaigning to be a federal criminal judge in Nuevo Leon, says his past advising lawyers for members of the Los Zetas cartel shouldn’t be disqualifying. “Does being an advisor on international or extradition law give you a bad public reputation? I don’t think so,” he said, defending his expertise.

Possibly the most attention-grabbing name is Silvia Delgado, who represented Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in 2016. Now running for a criminal judgeship in Chihuahua, Delgado is known for visiting Guzman regularly in prison before his extradition to the U.S. and says she was simply doing her job. “I’m not corrupt,” she said. “They can’t burn you for having represented someone.”

Delgado, a single mother of four who put herself through law school, views the case as a milestone in her career. “It was a career opportunity… Working on the case of such a famous figure.” She added that she hasn’t had contact with El Chapo’s legal team since, though she helped his wife transport their children to the U.S.

But watchdogs are worried. Rights group Defensorxs has identified nearly 20 candidates with problematic backgrounds, including ties to cartels or past convictions. “Everything we’re seeing is the result of trying to fast-track this reform,” said Defensorxs president Miguel Meza, who criticized the government’s vetting system.

The judicial reform, backed by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his successor President Claudia Sheinbaum, aims to combat corruption. But critics argue it removes important checks and balances. The reform reduces Supreme Court justices from 11 to 9, lowers eligibility requirements, and creates a five-member disciplinary body to oversee a 50,000-member judiciary.

As concerns rise, Senate leader Gerardo Fernandez Norona dismissed criticism as a “racist, classist media war.” Election authorities say it’s too late to remove any names; any ineligible winners will be removed after the vote.

INE electoral advisor Claudia Zavala acknowledged the shortcomings: “It seems that splitting that function around other authorities was not ideal.” Any disqualifications must be resolved by June 15, when the results are finalized.

Despite the scrutiny, Delgado remains unfazed. “The best legacy I can give… is to have been a person of integrity, who always defended people.”