Cracks Widen in Salinas Pliego's Legal Fortress: Supreme Court Moves Spell Trouble for Elektra

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The legal noose is tightening around Ricardo Salinas Pliego and his sprawling financial empire. In a stunning turn that underscores mounting judicial pressure, the newly reconstituted Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has reinstated Minister Lenia Batres as the ponente (drafting judge) in a case aimed at revoking an amparo granted to Elektra. That amparo had delayed Elektra’s obligation to pay a tax credit exceeding 67 million pesos. The reinstatement comes despite earlier rulings that declared Batres disqualified from handling cases involving Salinas Pliego, due to demonstrated bias.

This judicial maneuver threatens to unravel one of Salinas Pliego’s primary delaying tactics—his legal shield. By bringing Batres back into the fold, the SCJN signals a willingness to penetrate his defenses and accelerate enforcement of tax rulings.

Meanwhile, a parallel case of vastly greater financial consequence has been assigned to Minister Arístides Rodrigo Guerrero. He will oversee an even larger Elektra amparo involving a staggering 33 billion-peso tax liability. These developments mark an existential turning point, as the court appears to be recalibrating its posture—from stalling to accountability.

The broader judicial landscape confirms this shift. Recent rulings are increasingly unfavorable for Salinas Pliego’s holdings:

- Grupo Elektra was ordered to pay 2 billion pesos in back taxes for the 2012 fiscal year, a definitive blow after years of evasive litigation—claims of judicial bias were flatly rejected.

- TV Azteca lost a separate case, with a tribunal ordering the payment of 3.5 billion pesos in unpaid taxes from 2009 filings.

These verdicts punctuate a judicial trend: courts are no longer yielding to procedural delay or political pressure. The rhetoric of persecution no longer shields Salinas Pliego. His empire, long protected by appeals and legal tactics, now faces multiple breaches in its defensive walls.

Bottom line: The Supreme Court’s recent reassignments are not technical footnotes—they are the first major fractures in what has been an impregnable legal strategy. With Batres moving to revoke Elektra’s amparo and Guerrero taking on massive liability, the empire’s delay tactics appear to be failing. As precedent shifts, the financially and politically powerful Salinas Pliego may soon confront the reckoning he’s long avoided.

Key Sources

- Processed reinstatement of Lenia Batres to review Elektra’s amparo – https://www.proceso.com.mx/nacional/justicia/2025/9/8/permiten-lenia-batres-presentar-el-proyecto-para-revocar-amparo-elektra-de-salinas-pliego-358438.html

- SDP Noticias coverage of Batres pursuing revocation – https://www.sdpnoticias.com/mexico/lenia-batres-busca-revocar-amparo-concedido-a-elektra-de-ricardo-salinas-pliego-por-credito-fiscal-millonario/

- Animal Político reporting on SCJN’s procedural shift — https://animalpolitico.com/politica/corte-lenia-batres-resolucion-amparo-salinas-pliego

- Additional context from El Siglo de Torreón — https://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/2025/scjn-permite-a-ministra-lenia-batres-revisar-caso-fiscal-de-elektra.html

- Elektra’s 2 billion peso adjudged tax liability — https://elpais.com/mexico/2025-06-20/un-juez-ordena-a-grupo-elektra-el-pago-de-2000-millones-de-pesos-en-impuestos-al-sat.html

- TV Azteca’s 3.5 billion peso loss — https://elpais.com/mexico/2025-07-10/ricardo-salinas-pliego-pierde-otro-juicio-fiscal-tv-azteca-debera-pagar-mas-de-3500-millones-de-pesos-al-fisco-mexicano.html