From the Editorial
La Jornada Newspaper
Tuesday, January 20, 2026, p. 6
The presiding judge of the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (TEPJF), Gilberto Bátiz García, maintained that this body works for electoral justice close to the citizens, so that it is more effective, more legitimate and timely.
Stating that this court “seeks to consolidate a close justice that accompanies and listens,” he stressed that in states like Chiapas, where cultural and community diversity is a daily and complex reality, institutional distance “can aggravate conflicts instead of resolving them.”
Together with Judge Claudia Valle and Judge Felipe Fuentes Barrera, Bátiz participated yesterday in the nearby justice meeting conservatory, organized at the Intercultural University of Chiapas (Unich), in San Cristóbal de las Casas, where they highlighted the role of the Electoral Public Defender’s Office and the Electoral Public Defender’s Office for Women.
Before students and academics from the Faculty of Law, as well as the rector of the university, Javier López Sánchez, the presiding judge stressed that these defense offices also assist in mediation processes for people and groups in situations of vulnerability or historical disadvantage, which includes migrants residing abroad and those who are deprived of their liberty.
Meanwhile, Judge Valle highlighted that the objective is to consolidate close justice, particularly with social groups that have historically faced greater barriers to realizing their rights.
