MEXICO CITY — Indigenous lawyer Hugo Aguilar is poised to become Mexico’s next chief justice following a historic judicial election this past Sunday. For the first time, voters elected the entire judiciary through direct ballot as part of a significant reform initiated by the governing Morena party.
Almost all votes for the Supreme Court have been tallied, revealing that Aguilar leads the race for the top position. President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed the elections as a success, despite a disappointing voter turnout of about 13%. Electoral officials reported that Aguilar, a member of the Mixtec indigenous group, is ahead of Lenia Batres, who received the Morena party’s endorsement.
Aguilar has been a longstanding advocate for the rights of Mexico’s indigenous communities, which account for nearly 20% of the population according to the 2020 census. For the last seven years, he has served as the rights coordinator for the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI). He also previously advised the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), guiding negotiations during their talks with the government in 1996 after a brief uprising in Chiapas state in 1994.
Throughout his campaign, Aguilar emphasized the need for representation of indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples in the Supreme Court. He criticized the legislative body for clinging to outdated principles that fail to enact meaningful change for the populace.
The early results suggest candidates linked to the Morena party will likely secure the majority of the remaining eight Supreme Court positions. Critics of the reform express concern that the political influence of the ruling party could compromise judicial independence. Proponents, however, argue that direct elections will democratize the judiciary, making it more accountable to voters.
While the effort to establish a direct electoral process for judges was ambitious, the markedly low turnout reflects a possible lack of engagement from the electorate with the judicial selection process.
This election could mark a pivotal change in Mexico’s legal landscape, though much will depend on the future actions of a court shaped by this unprecedented electoral approach.
This article was automatically generated by OpenAI. The people, facts, circumstances, and story may be inaccurate. Any article can be requested for removal, retraction, or correction by emailing contact@publiclawlibrary.org.