Background on Lorenzo Córdova Vianello
Lorenzo Córdova Vianello is a former Mexican electoral council president who served from 2015 to 2018. His tenure was marked by controversy, particularly due to his perceived dismissive attitude towards indigenous representatives during a 2015 incident. Córdova’s actions and comments have been criticized for allegedly displaying discriminatory behavior.
Supreme Court Ruling
In its latest session, the Second Collegiate Tribunal of Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN) granted protection to Lorenzo Córdova Vianello and ordered the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) to remove references to him as an example of discrimination from sixth-grade textbooks.
The Decision Details
- A.) SEP must cease distribution of the “Community Projects” textbook for sixth graders in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, and remove the mentioned content in future editions.
- B.) SEP should undertake necessary actions to edit the digital version of the “Community Projects” textbook (pages 246 for 2023-2024 and page 234 for 2024-2025) to eliminate the reference to Córdova.
- C.) Inform relevant educational authorities of the mentioned changes.
The ruling was approved by the votes of SCJN President Javier Laynez Potisek, Alberto Pérez Dayán, and Jorge Pardo (from the First Collegiate Tribunal, summoned to break a tie). Yasmín Esquivel and Lenia Batres voted against the decision.
Reasons for the Ruling
According to the SCJN, the contested publication violates Córdova’s objective right to honor since it alters public perception of him by presenting only part of the facts and discrediting his moral and professional qualities demonstrated throughout his academic and professional career.
The court found that the presentation of facts in free textbooks lacked objectivity and impartiality, as it projected a negative image of Córdova and constructed a biased narrative of his work.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Lorenzo Córdova Vianello? He is a former president of Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE) from 2015 to 2018, known for controversial actions and comments.
- What was the issue with the textbooks? The Mexican Supreme Court ruled that the sixth-grade textbooks contained a biased and discriminatory reference to Córdova, violating his right to honor.
- What actions did the SCJN order? The court ordered SEP to stop distributing the affected textbooks, remove the reference in future editions, and edit the digital version of the textbook to eliminate the mentioned content.
- Why did the SCJN make this decision? The court found that the textbooks presented an incomplete and discrediting account of Córdova’s actions, lacking objectivity and impartiality.
