Background on Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Relevance of the Case
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo, a former governor of Morelos and prominent Mexican footballer, has been at the center of a political violence case. The controversy stems from allegations that Blanco and other public officials denied a Morena legislator, Juanita Guerra Mena, her right to participate in civic events and set up a platform for 200 people during the commemoration of the “Rompimiento del sitio de Cuautla, Morelos” anniversary.
The Initial Ruling and the TEPJF’s Intervention
On June 14, 2023, the now senator from PVEM filed a complaint with the Institute for National Elections (INE) against Blanco Bravo, various public servants, and media outlets for political violence. However, the Specialized Chamber of the Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación (TEPJF) had previously dismissed the case, stating that it had expired due to an unjustified delay of one year and nine months.
The TEPJF’s Superior Chamber disagreed with this decision, asserting that the delay was caused by local Morelos authorities who lacked competency to study and resolve the case. Consequently, the INE Technical Unit could not engage with the matter until recently.
Magistrate Reyes Rodríguez Mondragón emphasized that “the period during which local authorities without competency knew the procedural case and simultaneously, the INE Technical Unit was unable to exercise its sanctioning power cannot be counted as part of the one-year expiration period.”
TEPJF Confirms INE Lacks Competency in PAN’s Andrea Chávez Case
In a separate ruling, the TEPJF confirmed that the INE does not have jurisdiction to analyze a complaint filed by the National Action Party (PAN) against Andrea Chávez Treviño. The PAN accused Chávez of committing pre-campaign acts, personal promotion, misuse of public resources, and gubernamental propaganda through health caravan and brigade events in Chihuahua.
The TEPJF deemed the PAN’s impugnation unfounded, as the denounced behaviors affect the competence of the Chihuahua State Electoral Institute. The nature of Chávez’s position and the effects being state-specific do not define the electoral authority’s competency.
Thus, the case was referred to the Chihuahua Electoral Institute (OPLE).
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main issue in this case? The central concern revolves around allegations of political violence against Cuauhtémoc Blanco and other public officials, denying a legislator her right to participate in civic events.
- Who are the key figures involved? Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo, former governor of Morelos and a well-known footballer; Juanita Guerra Mena, a Morena legislator; and Andrea Chávez Treviño, a subject of a separate PAN complaint in Chihuahua.
- What was the TEPJF’s decision regarding the Cuauhtémoc Blanco case? The TEPJF’s Superior Chamber overturned the Specialized Chamber’s dismissal of the case, stating that local authorities’ lack of competency caused the unjustified delay.
- What happened in the PAN’s Andrea Chávez case? The TEPJF confirmed that the INE lacks jurisdiction to analyze the PAN’s complaint against Andrea Chávez, as it falls under the competency of the Chihuahua State Electoral Institute.
