Hugo Aguilar elected president of Mexico's Supreme Court: Indigenous, former Zapatista advisor and government sympathizer

The new justices of the Mexican Supreme Court, elected in an unprecedented election over the weekend, will be led by indigenous lawyer Hugo Aguilar. Aguilar was the most popular candidate among the candidates, so, by law, he will head the highest court in Mexico.

Born in 1973 in the southern state of Oaxaca, Aguilar belongs to the Indigenous Mixtec community. A lawyer by trade, with a master's degree in constitutional law, he was an official under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI).

In 1966, he also served as legal advisor to the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) during a negotiation with the Government. The EZLN guerrillas, led by Subcomandante Marcos, took up arms in the southern state of Chiapas in 1994 to vindicate indigenous rights, and although always sympathetic to the left, veered away from López Obrador.

Aguilar was proposed by AMLO's successor, current Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The rules for judicial elections in Mexico, the first country to elect all judges by popular vote, established that the selection of candidates remained in the hands of the three branches of government.

The new justice maintains that the country has "an important debt" to be settled with the native peoples. His links with the Zapatistas hardly figured in his campaign, which focused on attracting the pro-government vote.

The lawyer has been the target of accusations on social media for allegedly refusing to pay child support. However, an activist from Oaxaca assured that just before the campaign "all those posts disappeared" and it has not been possible to corroborate the accusations.

A justice system close to the government

After learning the result, Sheinbaum celebrated Aguilar's victory: "I am very happy that the next president of the Supreme Court will be an indigenous Mixtec from Oaxaca, a very good lawyer. I have the privilege of knowing him."

Second was Lenia Batres, acting minister and member of the ruling Morena party. She will also be a member of the highest court, as well as two other sitting ministers. The remaining three justices are also considered close to the ruling party.

Morena, according to the official count that is still ongoing, will also be widely represented in the judicial discipline court, according to AFP. Mexico will hold a second judicial election in 2027 to appoint local judges in 13 of the country's 32 states.