Mexico elected its first woman President, Ms. Claudia Sheinbaum, in a historic move on 3 June 2024. 61-year-old Ms. Sheinbaum is the former mayor of Mexico City. Winning between 58-60 % of the votes in Sunday’s election, Ms. Sheinbaum emerged victorious over her rival candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, a businesswoman. Ms. Sheinbaum will replace her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on 1 October 2024.
Who is Ms. Claudia Sheinbaum
Ms. Sheinbaum’s maternal grandparents are from Bulgaria, and her paternal grandparents are from Lithuania. She was a student of Physics and later received her doctorate in Energy Engineering. She was an illustrious scientist in a research laboratory in California, where she worked on Mexican energy consumption patterns. She was also an expert on climate change and held the position of Secretary of the environment for Mexico City. Mr. Andrés Manuel López Obrador was the capital’s mayor at that time. She had the post till 2023 when she stepped down to run for the post of President.
Historic Election
The presidential election of 2024 was considered a pathbreaking one in Mexico. Ms. Sheinbaum and Ms. Gálvez were both two front-running candidates in the election. Ms. Sheinbaum led the campaign despite a tough fight from her opponent. The election positively impacted Mexican society, with the opponents and the victor instilling hope in many women of all ages. According to a 34-year-old homemaker, Ms. Sheinbaum’s victory thwarted the age-old belief restricting women to certain professions. Another 87-year-old voter was grateful to have witnessed a woman elected President in her lifetime, recollecting that women were first allowed to vote only in 1953. Ms. Gálvez congratulated Ms. Sheinbaum on being the first woman President of Mexico.
Wishes from Dignitaries
Wishes poured in for Ms. Sheinbaum after her landslide victory in the Presidential race. President of the United States, Joe Biden, congratulated her on her remarkable achievement.
Mr. Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic of Colombia, congratulated his colleague:
Mr. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, also emphasised the importance of Mexico-Canada bilateral relations.
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, spoke to the victor and stressed on the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Ms. Sheinbaum belongs to the Morena party. She has pledged to build a free, harmonious, and peaceful Mexico that would ensure prosperity for the nation. She also expressed her gratitude to the entire Mexican population for electing a woman to the Presidential post in 200 years of the nation’s history.
