Mexico's new judges system is threatened by cartels after a murder

As they finished their day, clerical workers at an Acapulco Courthouse heard shots. Gunmen opened fire on Magistrate Edmundo Roman Pinzon - a former president in the highest court of Guerrero State - as he attempted to leave the parking lot.

The killing on December 11, happened months before the election of federal judges and magistrates. This election marks a major change in Mexico's judicial system, after years of lawlessness.

The increased public exposure of candidates for prestigious positions in a country which last year experienced the bloodiest elections it has ever seen, has raised fears that they will become easy targets.

In an interview conducted at his office, the courthouse in which Roman was murdered, Ynocente Orduno said, "Undoubtedly, we are all at risk of being attacked."

Roman's position will likely be on the ballot at the local judicial elections scheduled for 2027 in Guerrero.

Roman was a magistrate in Acapulco. According to two legal professionals who spoke with him and knew Roman, many people in the community believed that he had been targeted for his actions.

Local media reported that the Attorney General of Guerrero and Mexico's Secretary of Security have both announced three arrests, one being a suspect suspected to be linked to organized crime. The authorities have not revealed a motive, and the prosecutor has declined to comment. The elections on June 1 are part of the reform that was passed last year to overhaul the judicial system in the country. In June, more than 840 federal posts will be filled by around 5,000 candidates. This includes Supreme Court justices. In 17 states, another 1,737 candidates are competing for local positions. In the future, other states will also hold local elections.

Andres Lopez Obrador, the mentor of Claudia Sheinbaum and her predecessor, said that the reforms were necessary to eradicate corruption and serve the needs of the ordinary citizen. It has also raised concerns that criminal gangs will target judges. Human rights monitors attribute 37 assassinations to organized crime, ahead of the 2024 election that Sheinbaum's party and Sheinbaum won with a landslide.

Six judicial professionals and security experts as well as politicians and academics were interviewed to find out how the government plans to keep the elections safe.

Mexico faces a budget crisis and a National Guard that is depleted as it looks to collaborate with the United States on its shared border.

Former Mexican Supreme Court Justice Jose Ramon Cossio, a professor at Tec de Monterrey University, said that Mexico is experiencing a "very important" (deficit). There will be no money to cover these conditions.

According to Claudia Zavala an electoral advisor with INE, Mexico's autonomous elections body INE acts as a conduit for candidates to report threats to authorities. However, any protective measures are the responsibility of the federal government.

Sheinbaum spokeswoman reiterated INE’s role when it comes to requesting security. She said that "normally" if there's a request for security, the candidate is given security.

She did not provide any details on the plan or budget allocated to candidate security.

"JUSTICE BY STRONGEST"

Orduno is a judge who has been in the field for almost 30 years. He acknowledged that it would be difficult to protect all candidates, but urged officials to take this issue more seriously.

According to Mexico Evalua, at least 22 local judicial workers, including Roman Roman, were killed in Mexico between 2012 and 2015.

Mexico Evalua discovered that at least four of the murders were linked to the work of judges.

In February, when I visited the Acapulco courthouse located in the rough Las Playas area of Acapulco, an officer from state police stood outside. There were no cameras or security checks at the entrance. The public was free to move between floors. A car with broken windows was parked in the street.

Guerrero is one of most dangerous places to campaign in the country. In Coyuca de Benitez, a mayoral candidate was shot at point blank range during a rally days before the elections of 2024. In October, the newly-sworn in mayor of state capital Chilpancingo had been brutally killed and decapitated.

"I can imagine a situation where cartels support a certain candidate and another candidate from the opposite side is just as popular." Mike Ballard is the director of intelligence for Global Guardian, an international security firm.

Ballard stated that "you end up with judges who are in cartel pockets, which will not be good for democracy or fairness in Mexico."

Sheinbaum has been trying to contain a security crisis that is worsening in the country. According to TResearch, since Sheinbaum took office, there have been 78 murders per day on average.

Cossio said that cartels can force their opponents out of the game if they don't have real protection.

Cossio said, "If Mexico remains without justice, then you open the door for the strongest to bring justice."

Not Enough Police

Ramiro Solorio is an attorney and professor of law who has run unsuccessfully for mayor three times in Acapulco. He knows the risks. Solorio, who received death threats before the election last year, reported them to INE and they activated a protocol which prompted National Guard protection.

Solorio stated that there would not be enough police officers to monitor each candidate.

Solorio referred to the security of government officials, and asked why this should not be the case for those in judicial branches. Solorio stated that "the president, the secretary, and governor have their families protected."

On a recent trip to Acapulco the Governor of Guerrero Evelyn Salgado, flanked with members of her security staff as she was about to leave a busy street following a press conference, was flanked.

Salgado, when asked about the security of candidates, said that coordination with Sheinbaum’s administration had been "perfect".

Salgado stated that "as always, we will follow a security protocol for each election to ensure that elections are peaceful."

Her team then ushered her in an SUV and drove off. (Reporting and editing by Christian Plumb, Claudia Parsons, and Cassandra Garrison)

(source: Reuters)