Introduction
On Sunday, elections were held, as expected, with low voter turnout, intimidation, pre-selected candidates, and significant government intervention. The outcome was predictable: the handpicked aspirants of the ruling party were overwhelmingly elected for popularly-chosen positions, amidst a deeply questionable legitimacy of the vote.
Context and Background
In Venezuela, fiction has become reality. The fabrication of elections, the construction of narratives around their supposed legitimacy, and the invention of institutions born from law-breaking and unfair practices have all reached a climax. This is the result of years of institutional wear and tear, systematic erosion of democratic foundations to favor a single party and political project.
Seven years ago, many of us dismissed the idea that Mexico would follow a similar path with Morena’s rise to power. However, the recent election of judges, magistrates, and ministers through direct voting has placed Mexico on the path of electoral simulation, mirroring Venezuela’s experience.
The Transformation of Essential Institutions
Essential institutions of the republican life are being altered to satisfy the personal whims of the leader residing in Palenque. The justice system is being politicized from its roots, and the Judicial Power’s independence is stripped away under the pretext of returning power to the people. Yet, there is no genuine people choosing; instead, there’s an ideological apparatus imposing discipline.
A true democracy is built with checks and balances, transparency, strong and autonomous institutions—not through rigged consultations or empty ballot boxes.
The Erosion of Credibility and Institutional Weakness
These elections, like those held a week prior in Venezuela, do not seek justice or participation. Their aim is submission. By using the name of democracy as a disguise, power concentration is the ultimate goal. For the ruling party, institutions are good if they control them; otherwise, they’re corrupt, elitist, or “neoliberal.” This toxic binary has been the foundation of their narrative: what serves their cause is legitimate; what doesn’t, is treason.
Clientelism and Corruption in the Judicial System
More concerning, many candidates have documented or suspicious links with rentier organizations, dubious unions, questionable religious groups, and in some cases, even criminal structures. Instead of ensuring justice, clientelism, judicial position capture, and ideological colonization of the legal system are being institutionalized. The judicial election thus becomes a distribution of quotas and favors with robes.
International Perspective
A conversation with a New York-based British investment banker shed light on the situation in Mexico. When asked if it was true that judges would be elected through ballots, I couldn’t provide a clear answer. His response was a frown and the words “absurd” and “a disgrace,” perhaps the clearest description for those who still believed Mexico couldn’t reach this point.
Future Implications
This election might only mark the beginning of a new era of structural distrust. When justice is contaminated by propaganda, the subsequent generations will face the erosion of institutional credibility.
Building trust takes decades, while destroying it requires only a ballot, a simulation, or a senseless election.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are these elections about? These elections aim to concentrate power under the guise of democracy, rather than ensuring justice or genuine participation.
- Why are these elections concerning? They represent a shift towards Venezuelan-style electoral manipulation, eroding institutional credibility and promoting clientelism within the judicial system.
- What are the potential long-term effects? The destruction of institutional trust, built over decades, can occur rapidly through such electoral simulations, potentially leading to generational distrust in democratic processes.
