As drivers navigate through the congested streets near the Bridge of the Americas, Silvia Delgado is actively campaigning for a judicial position, distributing flyers and rallying support. "Vote for number 12 on the ballot!" she exclaims, her optimism punctuating the tense atmosphere surrounding the elections. However, the context surrounding her candidacy is anything but ordinary.
Delgado's pamphlets strategically omit any mention of her high-profile client, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the infamous leader of the Sinaloa Cartel who currently serves a life sentence in the US. Critics question whether her history as El Chapo's defense attorney disqualifies her from serving as a judge. In response, she expresses indignation at this notion, emphasizing her commitment to upholding the legal system's integrity. "Why should it? For doing my job?" the former attorney exclaims.
With no criminal charges against her, Delgado finds herself at the center of heated discussions. A human rights organization in Mexico, Defensorxs, lists her among 19 "high-risk candidates," claiming her prior work with a cartel could jeopardize impartiality within the judiciary. "Someone that has already worked with a cartel… it's difficult that they get out, even if it was only as a lawyer," states Miguel Alfonso Meza, the organization’s director.
Delgado dismisses these accusations, asserting her professionalism amidst attempts to undermine her campaign. In her view, she is merely a legal practitioner who is entitled to pursue a career in public service. "How can you prove that I was paid with drug money?" she retorts, reinforcing her stance that her payments were in line with standard legal fees.
Her candidacy arises during a monumental election where Mexicans will directly choose over 7,500 judicial positions from local magistrates to Supreme Court justices—a move that some experts argue could politicize the judiciary and erode its legitimacy. Critics, including Meza, assert that such reforms are ideologically driven by recent administrations to diminish judicial independence.
Conversely, candidate Olivia Aguirre Bonilla, also running for a Supreme Court seat, champions the elections as a pathway for historical change in a system long plagued by corruption. With a focus on human rights law, her agenda highlights reforms addressing the judicial system's accountability and accessibility. Using social media to advocate for her initiatives, Aguirre Bonilla believes citizen participation via voting is essential for democratizing an otherwise elite-controlled legal structure.
As elections approach, all eyes are on voters' engagement, which will signal public sentiment regarding these sweeping reforms. For Delgado, the stakes are high as she navigates the complexities of her controversial past while hoping to gain the confidence of Ciudad Juárez’s electorate, aiming for a chance to judge those who may follow in El Chapo's notorious footsteps.
