First Public Defender’s Office inaugurated in Hidalgo to serve indigenous and Afro-Mexicans

Iván Evair Saldaña

La Jornada Newspaper
Monday, November 24, 2025, p. 8

In the huasteca of Hidalgo, the first office of the Federal Public Defender’s Office specialized in serving indigenous and Afro-American peoples was inaugurated this weekend, in an event led by the minister president of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, and members of the Judicial Administration Body (OAJ).

The also head of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (PJF), Hugo Aguilar, highlighted – according to a statement yesterday from the OAJ – that this is a historic moment for the country and for justice, since indigenous peoples throughout history “did not even have legal status, until the reform of September 30, 2024.”

He pointed out that with the new office of the Ombudsman, in Huejutla, Hidalgo, “a new front, a new perspective opens in the PJF: that of being defenders of the people”, as the first steps are taken in the consolidation of inclusive justice, as it is the first facility intended especially for the benefit and care of the indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities of the Sierra and Huasteca Hidalguense region.

Catalina Ramírez Hernández, member of the OAJ, explained that the new space will offer defense, translation, cultural support and comprehensive advice: “It is not just an office, it is a bridge between the State and the population.”

The head of the Federal Institute of Public Defender, Benjamín Rubio Chávez, warned that late justice is not justice and that cultural distancing also nullifies it. He recognized those who have defended the indigenous peoples with intelligence and work, and called on the population to come to the new headquarters: “This is your home. We are here to serve you.”