Sunday’s elections in Mexico marked a milestone: the election of Claudia Sheinbaum (61) as the country’s first ever woman president. The early results are indicative that Sheinbaum emerged victorious from the largest election in Mexican history, with more voters than any previous poll and more seats at stake. This was an amazing vote which witnessed two women vying to lead one of the largest nations in the hemisphere.
Sheinbaum, who is a leftist, ran her campaign on a promise to fulfill certain aspirations set by current Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who has been her mentor. His leadership was under scrutiny and it is clear that she voted for him and his party.
Mexican politics have been radically transformed by the regime of Lopez Obrador. He did manage to reduce poverty levels throughout his tenure as well as double minimum wages amongst Mexicans. However, he has also been a deeply divisive leader accused of not tackling cartel violence, allowing its health system fall apart and persistently undermining democracy itself. Nevertheless, Lopez Obrador remains broadly popular among the people thereby making his political successor get elected.
With about 78% of votes casted thus far taken into account, Sheinbaum won around sixty per cent of all votes while Xachitl Galvez trailed behind her with just over thirty percent. Galvez got 28% on the ticket of a coalition form by opposition parties including entrepreneurs; while Jorge alvarez Maynez only managed 10.5%. Morena Party expected to take control of both chambers of Congress too. In her gratitude speech she told supporters that she will represent all Mexicans equally; stated that “Morena” would continue defending democratic values. And celebrated becoming the nation’s first female Head-of-State in such an unprecedented manner: “I am going to be Mexico’s first woman President in 200 years,” she said.
Sheinbaum’s record is extensive: She holds a Ph.D. in energy engineering. A Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN panel of climate experts, and has led the city. She is known as an unyielding boss with a stiff demeanor -qualities that have brought her close to Lopez Obrador. The president-elect was therefore forced to contend with accusations from many quarters that she will just be acting as a puppet for her predecessor.
A Jewish President was elected by Mexico on Saturday, which is incredible considering it has one of the world’s largest Catholic populations. 61-year-old Sheinbaum rarely discusses her origins, but when she does speak about them she tends to emphasize her distant relationship with Mexican Jews going back to the country’s founding days; today there are around 59k Jews among Mexico’s population of over 130M people.
She said wordlessly in 2020, “Of course I know where I come from, but my parents were atheists.” Her parents belonged to both leftist and scientific circles. However, while Sheinbaum has been reluctant to acknowledge this part of her background, others have been more forthcoming. In 2018, during Sheinbaum’s run for office some opponents questioned whether or not she could be considered Mexican since they claimed that she was born elsewhere in Mexico.
The Gaza war has been going on since last year, and as a result of that Sheinbaum condemned the attacks against innocent people, demanded for cessation of hostilities and claimed to back up a two-state system. We have to wait and see how she will direct Mexico’s national stand concerning the war which is becoming more controversial in that nation especially when she becomes president.
