Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
In a recent decision, the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF) confirmed that Carlos Peña Ortiz, the current mayor of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, is legally eligible to run for reelection. This decision followed the resolution of case SUP-REC-231/2024, in which the entire court approved by the majority the reintegration of his political electoral rights and his re-entry into the electoral register of the National Electoral Institute (INE).
Peña Ortiz’s case gained attention after he challenged a previous decision by the Regional Chamber Monterrey, which had revoked his political rights, considering him a fugitive from justice. However, the situation changed when it was revealed that the tenth district judge in Tamaulipas had definitively suspended the arrest warrant that motivated this suspension. This measure nullified the previous restrictions, although the District Board of the INE had declared the issuance of a new electoral credential improper, arguing that the application was made past the deadline of January 22.
The central discussion in the court revolved around whether a person suspended from their political rights could apply out of time to modify their information in the electoral register after obtaining a judicial resolution restoring their rights. The presiding magistrate, Felipe Fuentes, argued that both the responsible chamber and the legal area of the INE failed to consider the “exceptional situation” of Peña Ortiz at the time of his application, which resulted in a violation of his rights.
The debate in the court also highlighted a suspension granted by the eighth district judge, which provisionally restored Peña Ortiz’s political rights, emphasizing that there was no binding order or definitive sentence that justified the original sanction. Although some magistrates, such as Reyes Rodríguez Mondragón and Janine Otalora, believed that the case should have been dismissed, considering there was no longer any matter for discussion, the majority decided to proceed with the ruling.
This resolution allows Peña Ortiz to continue in the electoral contest and establishes an important precedent on how cases of political rights rehabilitation should be treated under changing judicial conditions. This ruling could have significant implications for future instances in which candidates’ political rights are questioned under similar judicial conditions.
