Indigenous rights defender leads race to head top Mexico court

AN INDIGENOUS rights defender and former advisor to Mexico's Zapatista guerrilla movement led the race Tuesday to head Mexico’ Supreme Court, which has traditionally been filled by elite jurists.

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Mexicans went to the polls Sunday for unprecedented judicial elections following a contentious reform which made their country the only one in the world to select all judges via the ballot box.

Hugo Aguilar, a member of the Mixtec Indigenous group, had the most votes for Supreme Court justices with more than 96 percent of ballots tallied, the National Electoral Institute (INE) said.

“It’s our turn,’ Aguilar proclaimed during his campaign, denouncing the “exclusion and abandonment” of native peoples.

Around 20 percent of Mexicans identify as Indigenous.

Aguilar follows in the footsteps of Benito Juarez, Mexico’ first Indigenous president who also led the Supreme Court from 1857-1858.