MEXICO CITY — The president of the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) Justice Constancio Carrasco Daza claimed that democratic processes have faced several obstacles and that political parties have hindered democratic advances such as independent candidacies.
During the 11th Inter-American Meeting of Electoral Management Bodies, Carrasco Daza said that the current participation in the democratic model has been not been effortless due to the many critical obstacles inherent to most Latin American countries — such as poverty, unemployment, and gender inequality — which cause detours in the path of democratic processes.
“Independent candidacies are still in a stage of development and assimilation in our country, there are several opinions that question their value on the system of political participation, it seems as if we are trying to deter rather than encourage them. Our society has been too patient with political parties,” said Carrasco Daza.
Santiago Nieto Castillo, head of the Electoral Crimes Prosecutor Office (Fepade), criticized political parties for interfering with electoral processes through activities such as buying votes or subjecting voters to conditions.
Finally, Director of the National Electoral Institute (INE) Lorenzo Córdova added that anti-political language and the banalization of politics abound, and that therefore, it is paramount to promote change geared towards a culture of participation.
ARTURO DAMIÁN
