Silvia Delgado García, former lawyer for convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, won a position as a criminal judge in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, following local judicial elections. Although she has experience in criminal litigation, her candidacy was considered risky by some civil organizations due to her history as a defender of Guzmán Loera.
“I know I can be the judge the community needs; I know I can impartially deliver justice,” stated Silvia Rocío Delgado García in a campaign video soliciting votes from the public.
Professional and Academic Career
Delgado, 51, holds a law degree from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ), a master’s degree in Amparo from the University of Durango, and a specialty in Mediation from the Superior Court of Justice of the State of Chihuahua, according to information provided to the State Electoral Institute (IEE) and the civil organization Defensorxs.
Throughout her career, she has excelled as a litigator in criminal matters, both in common and federal jurisdiction, as well as in labor, civil, commercial, and family law. She has also worked as a teacher.
In the documents submitted to the electoral authority, Delgado stated that she wanted to be a public servant because she believes the law is “a necessary tool for living in society.”
Convinced of Judicial Reform
Delgado participated as a candidate for criminal judge in District V Bravos of Chihuahua, nominated by the State Executive Branch Committee. She obtained second place in the vote with 23,605 votes, which secures her a position as a local judge.
During the debates organized by the Chihuahua State Electoral Institute (IEE), she expressed her support for judicial reform and the election of judges by vote: “With this, there will be no judges guarding their position when issuing sentences, as it is a temporary position.”
She added that she would promote periodic reviews of judges’ performance: “I would promote the continued election of judges by voting system, but in addition, periodic reviews of each official would be conducted at random, as well as adding career professional service as a candidate in the next election.”
She also asserted that her decisions as a judge would be based on the law and the facts, without favoritism: “To guarantee impartiality in conflicts between individuals without favoring any of the parties, I would base my decisions on the facts and the applicable law, giving the parties an equal opportunity to provide evidence and present their arguments in a neutral manner.”
A controversial candidacy
Organizations such as Defensorxs and Projuc considered Delgado’s candidacy to be “highly risky” given that she has defended Guzmán.
In May 2016, Delgado joined the legal team—led by Refugio Rodríguez Núñez and Andrés Granados Flores—representing El Chapo while he was being held at the Federal Social Readaptation Center (Cefereso) No. 9 in Ciudad Juárez.
According to an August report in Diario de Juárez, Delgado visited the drug lord weekly, reviewed the injunctions filed by his defense, and reported on the progress of his case. “He’s just like any other client,” he told the newspaper at the time.
Following Guzmán Loera’s extradition to the United States in January 2017, Delgado gave an interview to the American media outlet NewsChannelNine, in which he denounced human rights violations against the drug trafficker. When asked if he believed his client had committed crimes, he replied that he was defending him like a farmer and that they should trust his word.
CNN has attempted to contact Silvia Delgado García, but has not yet received a response.
Source: cnnespanol
