The National Action Party (PAN) filed its fifth electoral complaint against La Paz Mayor Milena Quiroga Romero and 12 other government officials, accusing them of using painted walls across the city to promote Quiroga and the ruling Morena party ahead of the 2027 elections. PAN state leader Rigo Mares submitted the complaint to Baja California Sur’s IEE (State Electoral Institute), arguing the painted walls, known as bardas, amount to illegal early campaigning.
Governor’s Comments Fuel PAN’s Case
Mares cited a public statement by Baja California Sur Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío as central evidence. Castro Cosío reportedly acknowledged that the painted bardas bearing Quiroga’s name and Morena branding were part of an “image promotion” strategy. PAN argues this admission proves the walls are not casual expressions of support but a coordinated campaign effort that violates Mexico’s electoral equity rules.
The bardas in question are visible on streets throughout La Paz, the state capital of roughly 300,000 residents on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. They display Quiroga’s name alongside Morena party imagery, blurring the line between government communication and political advertising well before official campaign periods begin.
IEE Has Dismissed Four Previous Complaints
This filing marks PAN’s fifth complaint since September 2025 targeting similar conduct by Morena-affiliated officials in Baja California Sur. The IEE has dismissed the prior four complaints, each time ruling that no formal candidates have been registered for the 2027 elections. Because no candidate exists on paper, the institute has argued, the promotional materials cannot technically constitute campaigning.
Mares pushed back against that reasoning, contending the IEE’s interpretation creates a loophole. Officials can promote themselves with party branding for years before an election cycle, so long as they avoid formally declaring candidacy. PAN’s position is that visible public promotion of political figures, combined with party logos, functions as de facto campaigning regardless of registration status.
Quiroga won the La Paz mayoral seat in 2021 running on the Morena ticket, part of the party’s sweep of Baja California Sur that also delivered the governorship to Castro Cosío. The 2027 elections will determine her successor, along with the next governor and state legislators.
The complaint names 13 officials in total, though the source does not specify all individuals beyond Quiroga. PAN’s next step depends on whether the IEE accepts the complaint for formal review or dismisses it on the same procedural grounds as before, according to Colectivo Pericú.