International

A candidate for the Supreme Court denounces an unequal dispute in the judicial election of Mexico

Carlos Enrique Odriozola has no party or structure. Nor does it enjoy reflectors or previous positions in the Judiciary. And yet, he competes for a chair in the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) of Mexico in an unprecedented electoral process that, he assures, is unequal and is marked by citizen apathy.

“There is no even floor, we are not all starting from the same base,” he says in an interview with EFE about the campaigns to seek the vote that began on March 30.

He assures that there are candidates who arrive at the historic judicial election in Mexico with an armed network, with resources, with exposure, while competitors like him just now take to the streets to present themselves to the people.

The lawyer has been litigating in courts and tribunals throughout Mexico for 30 years, also before the Court.

To his credit, he says, he has at least 40 theses of jurisprudence on human rights issues, obtained through strategic litigation.

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His motivation for reaching the highest court in the country is that “the Supreme Court has the possibility of permeating the entire judicial raming. From there you can achieve a real impact on people’s lives.”

Odriozola recognizes the value of the judicial reform that for the first time will allow 3,422 citizens, on June 1, to compete in elections for one of the 881 positions in courts, tribunals, the new Court of Judicial Discipline, the Electoral Tribunal and the Supreme Court, but also points out the vices.

“Some candidates could feel like puppets of a simulation. Possibly because we are candidates who have no structure. If they chose us so that people can get to know us and can value who is really willing to make a change and if people vote for us, it may be that that change is possible,” he says.

The candidate, who will identify himself with the number 57 on the ballots in the judicial election of Mexico, remembers having filed a formal complaint with the National Electoral Institute (INE) so that the participations are not so unequal, but has not yet received a response.

Odriozola details that he continues his campaign without paying for campaigns on networks and with limited presence in Mexico City until May, the last 28 days of his campaign, when he will go out to tour the country.

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“We are going to 15% of the campaign (spending) ceiling,” he confesses. “Because we haven’t traveled much either and we plan to do it from May, especially with the friendly invitations that they have already started to make us in some entities,” he adds.

In addition to the imbalance between candidacies, Odriozola faces another challenge: the indifference of the electorate to a historic moment.

“I see people with a lot of discouragement. They don’t have confidence in the process, in the generality of people. There is not enough information or even understanding of what is being voted on, despite its importance,” he acknowledges.

His call is direct: “Not participating is handing over the Court to the structures.”

“Regomidde the fact that one can agree with the process, it is the process that exists and it is the only way that citizens have today to get to court,” he adds.

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Odriozola proposes to integrate his presentation with a team selected by public competition, with gender parity, inclusive approach and respect for human rights.

“I want to make my presentation a microcosm of very prepared lawyers, very conscious, with a lot of social awareness,” he says.

It also proposes to effectively monitor jurisprudence and ensure that judgments are not only understood, but that they are executed.

He claims not to want “paper judgments”, that the treatment with the parties involved is equal, so he proposes to receive all equally and avoid “selective ear” pleas and so that “they can leave with the certainty” that “their evidence was evaluated.”
And in front of the new Judicial Discipline Court, he says not to be afraid.

“Since I am not going to commit acts of corruption and I am only going to proceed with all probity, I am not pressured or impressed by the existence of that court,” he concludes.

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International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

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“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

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According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

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When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.