The Electoral Court ruled that activist Miguel Meza’s allegations against Judge Silvia Delgado, ‘El Chapo’s’ former lawyer, do not constitute gender-based political violence.
The Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF) dealt a setback to the case brought by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s former attorney, after it overturned the sanctions imposed on activist Miguel Alfonso Meza for his social media posts regarding the now-criminal judge in Chihuahua.
The Regional Chamber in Guadalajara ruled that the allegations made by Meza—who questioned Silvia Rocío Delgado García’s professional profile due to her background as defense counsel for the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel—constitute part of the public debate and do not amount to gender-based political violence.
With this ruling, the electoral body nullified the measures previously ordered against Meza, including the obligation to issue a public apology, remove content from social media, and register in the registry of sanctioned individuals.
The case originated during the judicial selection process in Chihuahua, when Meza disseminated information regarding Delgado García’s professional career, including her role in the legal defense of “El Chapo.”
**TEPJF Invalidates Sanctions for Criticism of “El Chapo’s” Former Attorney**
Initially, local electoral authorities deemed that said posts constituted gender-based political violence, reasoning that they undermined the candidacy of the then-judicial hopeful.
However, upon reviewing the case file, the Regional Chamber concluded on April 16 that the criticisms were unrelated to the candidate’s gender; rather, they consisted of questions regarding her fitness for office, thereby placing them within the bounds of freedom of expression.
The tribunal further held that terms such as “narco-lawyer” (*narcoabogada*) must be analyzed within their specific context and don’t necessarily imply a direct accusation of criminal ties, but rather serve as a reference to her professional practice as defense counsel for individuals linked to drug trafficking.
The tribunal even noted that Judge Silvia Rocío García herself had appeared in a documentary titled *The Narco-Lawyers of Organized Crime*. Organizations such as Article 19 have noted that the ruling reinforces the protection of speech regarding matters of public interest, reasoning that sanctioning such expressions could lead to self-censorship and undermine democratic debate.
For Meza—who heads the organization *Defensorxs*—the case was, from the outset, an attempt at censorship aimed at suppressing the exposure of profiles that, in her view, posed risks within the judicial system.
Who is Silvia Delgado—the lawyer who represented ‘El Chapo’ and is now a judge?
Silvia Rocío Delgado García is an attorney who served as a member of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán’s defense team in 2016, during his incarceration in Ciudad Juárez prior to his extradition to the United States.
Given this background, her candidacy for a criminal judgeship in Chihuahua’s 2025 judicial elections proved highly controversial and drew significant criticism.
In interviews, Delgado García defended her professional conduct, asserting that her work as a defense attorney does not imply condoning her clients’ alleged crimes. She further added that representing the notorious drug lord was—in her own words—”a source of pride rather than a stigma.”
Despite the controversy, in June 2025 she received enough votes to become a criminal judge in the Judicial District of Chihuahua, as part of the country’s first election of judges by popular vote.
Source: El Financiero
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