Ex-lawyer for 'El Chapo' Guzman, Silvia Rocio Delgado García, wins the position of judge in Ciudad Juarez.
Controversial Election of Former "El Chapo" Lawyer Raises Concerns over Mexican Judiciary
The election of a former lawyer for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Silvia Delgado, as a judge in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, has sparked concerns about the weakening of democratic checks and balances and increased vulnerability to criminal influence within the judiciary.
Delgado, who was a member of Guzman's legal team in Ciudad Juarez, was one of the most controversial candidates in the election, which will make Mexico the world's only country to choose all of its judges and magistrates by popular vote.
The election results, announced on Tuesday, showed that Delgado received the second-highest vote among the candidates. However, she has been identified by the rights group Defensorxs as "high-risk" for the legitimacy of the judiciary due to allegations of cartel links, corruption, and sexual abuse.
Twenty candidates running for judicial posts were reported to have criminal records or connections to drug traffickers and corruption allegations, including Delgado. The selection of these candidates was controlled by political parties Morena, PVEM, and PT, while opposition parties boycotted the process, calling it undemocratic.
The legislative use of sortition (random selection) for judicial candidates was also criticized. In some states, single candidates were placed on ballots for each judicial seat, effectively predetermining outcomes and undermining electoral competitiveness, further weakening democratic legitimacy.
Because judges hold critical roles in upholding the rule of law and maintaining checks on abuse of power, the electoral success of candidates with links to criminal networks poses a risk of judicial decisions being influenced by organized crime interests, either directly or indirectly. This could erode public trust in the judiciary and democratic institutions, and weakened institutional checks and balances, enabling corruption and undermining accountability in government.
In summary, the controversial election reflects a democratic backsliding trend that increases the judiciary's vulnerability to criminal influence and compromises Mexico's judicial independence and integrity. An election for the remainder of the judiciary will be held in 2027.
Meanwhile, the Sinaloa cartel, which Guzman co-founded, was one of six Mexican gangs designated as terrorist organizations by US President Donald Trump in February. The 8th Annual Modernization of Cross-Border Trade is also coming to Nuevo Laredo, but it is not directly related to the election of Silvia Delgado.
The election of Silvia Delgado, a former lawyer for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, as a judge, amidst allegations of cartel links, corruption, and sexual abuse, has stirred concerns about the influence of crime and politics in general-news, especially within Mexico's judiciary. This election, controlled by political parties, has been criticized for its lack of electoral competitiveness, potentially jeopardizing the rule of law and the integrity of Mexican justice, even further in the crime-and-justice sector.
