Historic Election: Hugo Aguilar Becomes Mexico's First Indigenous Supreme Court President

Hugo Aguilar Ortíz has made history as the first Indigenous president of Mexico’s Supreme Court. Aguilar, from the Mixtec community of San Agustín Tlacotepec in Oaxaca, gained the highest number of votes among 60 candidates in the June 1 judicial elections.

Aguilar’s ascent to the top judicial position marks a significant milestone in Mexico’s political evolution. His background is rich with experience, including notable work with the Zapatista movement in the 1990s and a career focused on legal advocacy for indigenous communities.

Before his Supreme Court election, Aguilar held government positions such as Subsecretary of Indigenous Rights and General Coordinator of Indigenous Rights at the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI). This path from activist to government official has sparked mixed reactions.

While his appointment is celebrated as historic, Aguilar faces criticism and challenges. Some indigenous groups are concerned about his role in government consultations for major infrastructure projects, especially the Tren Maya and Interoceanic Corridor. The United Nations has also noted concerns about irregularities in these consultation processes.

Further questions surround Aguilar’s constitutional law experience and his ties to former President López Obrador’s administration, raising concerns about the independence of the judiciary.

Aguilar aims to introduce legal pluralism to the Supreme Court by integrating indigenous legal systems into its processes. However, the implementation and impact of such reforms remain to be seen as he embarks on his historic tenure as Mexico’s first Indigenous Supreme Court president.

For more information, visit the article on Mexico News Daily.

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