- Claudia Sheinbaum emerges as the first female President of Mexico and also the first Jewish President.
- Ms Sheinbaum had some remarkable leadership backgrounds before vying for the presidential position.
- Ms Sheinbaum gained the support of the populace through López Obrador's influence.
Following the release of the presidential election results on June 3, 2024, 61-year-old Claudia Sheinbaum, who was the former mayor of Mexico City, achieved the unprecedented feat of becoming the first female president of Mexico, the first on the North American continent and the first Jewish President, having won a majority of the votes.
It is highly remarkable that her main opponent, Xóchitl Gálvez, is also a woman and a business guru.
Claudia Sheinbaum's Background
Claudia Sheinbaum is viewed by analysts as a female politician who is ambitious and has been intentional about her political moves. She ensured she laid a solid background in leadership before embarking on the daunting quest for the presidency. Here are some landmarks she made before being elected as president:
- She is a mentee to the incumbent President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
- She was the first female mayor in Mexico City in 2018 and resigned in 2023 to run for president. The mayor's position is one of the most influential positions in the country. She must have learned and observed this from her mentor, who was also a former mayor before being elected president.
- She was a student activist and former secretary of environment for Mexico City.
Campaign promises of Sheinbaum
With a doctorate degree in Energy Engineering and a background in Physics, she promised to build on the work of the incumbent president, López Obrador. In his six years in office, López Obrador's government succeeded in alleviating poverty for millions of Mexicans, and he reportedly gained the support of about 60 per cent of Mexico's population.
Ms Sheinbaum and the president belong to the Morena party, which has been recognised over the years for helping older adults and children. Alejandro Benitez, a 68-year-old woman had stated the reason she will be voting for Ms Sheinbaum as opposed to Galvez. In her words, “Our president really cares about poor people."
Also, she promised to improve the welfare conditions of the citizens.
Citizens jubilate, react to Sheinbam’s victory
The women were excited to experience the victory of Ms Sheinbam in their lifetime, as the victory was described as “a sea change for the women in Mexico”
In the words of an 87-year-old Mexican, Edelmira Montiel, she remarked how grateful she was to witness the victory of a woman to a top position in Mexico in her lifetime.
“Before, we could not vote and even when we could, we were often influenced by our husband’s decisions. Thank God that has changed, and I get to witness this.”
In jubilation, the supporters sang and danced to mariachi music in order to celebrate the victory of their candidate.
Sheinbaum’s presidential victory was not without violence
Meanwhile, the election was not without violence from the opposing parties. The government reported that 20 people were killed, while other sources put the total as 37 killed. Xóchitl Gálvez, who was the main opponent of Sheinbaum, had accused the president-elect and the government of being the mastermind of the violence that raged a major part in Mexico.
The incumbent president, López Obrador, had given his full support to his mentee Ms Sheinbaum in the Presidential election after being prevented from running a second term by the Mexico’s Constitution, upon spending his six years tenure in office.
However, Ms Sheinbaum will have to confront some longing challenges in Mexico when she resumes office, such as the indiscriminate violent attacks and the electricity and water shortage that is engendering the brain drain in Mexico.
