Mexico, Quality, Relationship Effect

Close Friendship

Article 51 of Mexico’s Amparo Law lists the reasons for which the judges who hear amparo cases must excuse themselves. Fraction VII reads: “Si tuvieren amistad estrecha o enemistad manifiesta con alguna de las partes, sus abogados, abogadas o representantes” (If they have a close friendship or a manifest enmity with one of the parties, their lawyers or representatives).

Article 39 of the Federal Code of Civil Procedure sets out the impediments of judges in civil cases. They include a “relación de intimidad con alguno de los interesados” (close relationship with one of the parties) and “tener mucha familiaridad con alguno de ellos” (being very familiar with one of them).

Amiguismo

Amiguismo, from amigo, friend, is favoritism toward friends. In June 2021, the columnist Rafael Cardona wrote in La Crónica that “el amiguismo campea en el gobierno” (amiguismo runs freely in the government).

In October 2025, the sports site Unánimo Deportes criticized the call-ups of the national football team. It wrote that the coaching staff kept calling up some players “por inercia o por ‘amiguismo'” (out of inertia or out of amiguismo).

Justice and Grace

A los amigos, justicia y gracia. “For friends, justice and grace.”

A los enemigos, la ley a secas. “For enemies, the law and nothing more.”

Some Mexican columnists attribute the phrase to Benito Juárez. In Forbes México, one columnist calls it “probablemente apócrifo” (probably apocryphal). No source found names its real author.