President Claudia Sheinbaum requested the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF) to invalidate candidates from the first popular election of the PJF who have ties to drug trafficking. This comes after assertions from the Senate about candidates with these connections.
"From my particular point of view, and we will see what the Tribunal decides, it could be, even though they are already on the ballot, to impose a precautionary measure or disqualify the person," stated the president at her morning conference.
The president of the Senate, Gerardo Fernández Noroña, stated that they have identified defenders of drug traffickers aspiring to the Judicial Power. The civil group Defensorxs documented 13 candidates with links to organized crime and other crimes, including Silvia Rocío Delgado, former lawyer of 'El Chapo' Guzmán, and Francisco Herrera Franco, accused of agreements with criminals and possible involvement in the murders of journalists.
In light of the controversy, Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of meeting the constitutional requirements of integrity and academic qualifications for candidates for judge or magistrate. It was mentioned that concrete evidence would be required, and the Electoral Tribunal would be the authority to determine these cases.
The popular election of the Judicial Power on June 1 involves 881 positions and 3,422 candidates, including the Supreme Court and other courts. Campaigns began on March 30, and alerts about possible influences from the Executive and organized crime in the elections have raised concerns among the opposition, international organizations, and civil associations.
