Silvia Delgado, who once defended the infamous drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, is now on the campaign trail, seeking a judicial position in Mexico's first-ever election for the entire judiciary. As she navigates through traffic near the Bridge of the Americas, she enthusiastically hands out pamphlets urging voters to support her candidacy as penal judge.
Critics argue that her association with El Chapo, currently serving a life sentence in the US, disqualifies her from being a judge. She passionately defends her role as a lawyer, emphasizing the importance of individual rights and due process. "For doing my job? Why should that make me illegitimate?" she asserts.
Despite having no criminal charges against her, Silvia is listed as a "high-risk candidate" by a human rights organization in Mexico. The group's director, Miguel Alfonso Meza, highlights potential conflicts of interest due to her previous links with a cartel. However, Delgado dismisses the claims as unfounded and challenges anyone to investigate her professional history.
In this election, a total of 7,500 judicial positions are up for grabs—ranging from local judges to the Supreme Court. This reform aims to democratize a previously rigid and elite-controlled judicial system, but critics fear it could lead to increased politicization of the judiciary.
Among Silva's competitors is Olivia Aguirre Bonilla, a human rights activist advocating for a transparent judiciary. She argues that these elections offer an opportunity to address corruption and restore legitimacy to Mexico's justice system.
As voters prepare to head to the polls, the outcome will reveal whether citizens support this transformative approach to judicial selection, and whether Silvia Delgado's controversial background will influence her chances of gaining a seat in the judiciary.
