The former defense attorney of Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” Guzmán, Silvia Delgado, has been elected judge in Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections.
According to official results, Delgado secured enough votes to win a seat as a criminal court judge in Ciudad Juárez, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Her candidacy was one of the most controversial in the June 1st election. A civil society organization promoting transparency accused Delgado of having links to organized crime, a charge she firmly rejected.
Delgado defended her past, stating she was only fulfilling her legal duty by representing Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
The 51-year-old was part of Guzmán’s legal team prior to his extradition to the U.S. in 2017. The infamous Sinaloa cartel leader was convicted in 2019 of drug trafficking and is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado.
In a pre-election interview with the BBC, Delgado insisted that every individual — including El Chapo — has the right to legal defense, and dismissed concerns over any conflict of interest if elected judge.
