Electoral Tribunal orders review of gender violence complaint against Senator Noroña

Mexico's Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Power has ordered a thorough review of a complaint filed by Grecia Quiroz, the municipal president of Uruapan, against Senator Gerardo Fernández Noroña. Quiroz alleges political violence based on gender. The Sala Regional Toluca of the tribunal unanimously overturned a previous decision by the Electoral Tribunal of Michoacán, which had dismissed the complaint.

The Michoacán tribunal had argued it lacked jurisdiction because Quiroz, as a substitute official, did not hold directly elected office. However, the Sala Toluca ruled on June 12 that individuals holding interim or substitute positions in elected office possess the same rights as those directly elected through popular vote. This decision ensures that Quiroz has access to electoral justice mechanisms.

Magistrate Marcela Elena Fernández Domínguez emphasized that the case should not be decided based on rigid, formal criteria regarding the origin of the mayor's appointment. Instead, it should consider the public function she currently performs. "Closing the specialized path through a rigid criterion would imply an undue restriction of access to justice," she warned.

Magistrate President Nereida Berenice Ávalos Vázquez also criticized the initial ruling, stating it was incorrect to prematurely close the electoral route solely based on how the officeholder accessed their position. The tribunal urged the local court to consider Quiroz's role as municipal president and the institutional dimension of the alleged actions to prioritize a substantive examination of the potential political violence.

This ruling does not prejudge whether Senator Noroña committed an act of violence. It merely directs the local tribunal to assume jurisdiction and analyze the substance of the complaint. Quiroz alleges that Noroña has targeted her legitimacy based on her gender, citing an incident in March at the Senate where she claims Noroña orchestrated an "unspontaneous public act of intimidation with a malicious strategy to humiliate her in a space of Federal Power."