Goodbye to Ortiz Pinchetti

Fabiola Martinez

The newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, August 4, 2024, p. 5

Tireless defender of democracy, José Agustín Ortiz Pinchetti, head of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Electoral Crimes, former federal deputy, advisor to the then Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) and founder of The Day, He died this Saturday in Mexico City at the age of 87.

He was a multifaceted man, since while he was practicing his profession as a lawyer he actively participated in political and social movements, and embarked on a career as a writer, columnist for The Day –where he published his column Awakening in the Fourth Republic–, university professor, legislator, public servant and lawyer for the publishing company of this media since its founding.

A leading player since the 1970s on the main fronts in support of democracy, his participation was unique not only through peaceful mobilization and litigation, but also through his writing. He was born in the nation’s capital on May 13, 1937; as soon as he graduated as a law graduate, he began to fight with groups opposed to authoritarianism, and markedly against electoral fraud, such as that in Chihuahua in 1986, and later in repudiation of the results of the presidential election in 1988.

Immersed in the subject, the specialist was part of the first citizen council of the IFE, generating foundations in long discussions shared with other jurists and political scientists who agreed on the same goal.

Thus, he was in charge of organizing the Chapultepec Castle seminars, from which the political reform of 1996 was outlined, which, among other aspects, gave constitutional autonomy to the IFE, today the National Electoral Institute, to the point that the renewal of the council, which he himself promoted, left him out of the body, which he gladly admitted.

He returned to legal consulting for a few years and in 2000 he joined the team of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, then head of the capital’s government, as Secretary of Government, where he had a special interest in building bridges with members of all political forces, both local and national.

He worked hard to help the Federal District advance in operational and legal autonomy, while strengthening what would become a long-standing relationship of collaboration, friendship and respect with López Obrador.

From 2003 to 2006 he was a federal deputy; from the San Lázaro platform he promoted initiatives to advance the transformation of the Federal District into an entity with its own regulatory framework.

At the end of that legislature, he had to shore up, this time, the strategy against the presidential fraud of 2006, which motivated him and other lawyers to escalate not only towards an unprecedented legal defense, with the historic vote by vote, box by boxbut then, collectively, to the construction of a national movement: to build, from nothing, the legitimate presidencyled by López Obrador, and subsequently the idea of ​​moving towards national regeneration.

He had the respect and affection of those who knew him and collaborated with him in his various tasks. Just a few days ago he wrote in the pages of this newspaper –in collaboration with Mario Domínguez– a reflection on the re-election of legislators and the call to prevent this legislative figure from being elected. become an obstacle for new people with fresh ideas to come into politics and allow its renewal

Sheinbaum expresses regret

My condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of José Agustín Ortiz Pinchetti. A good man who many years ago made the decision to fight in our movement with great commitment and conviction. We will remember him with great affection. Farewell.the virtual president-elect wrote on her social networks.

Ortiz Pinchetti is the author of the books The Democracy to come and Private reflections and public testimoniesThe teacher is survived by his wife, Loretta Ortiz Ahlf, a minister of the Court, and his three children: Mariana, Esteban and Alejandra.