Meet Claudia Sheinbaum, Who May Be Mexico’s First Woman President

 

 "Even before launching her campaign on March 1, Sheinbaum hinted at the direction her presidency would take by remarking in speeches that her candidacy represents a vote for “continuity with her own stamp.” In November, Sheinbaum presented a list of “dreams,” including issues that have not ranked among López Obrador’s priorities. Her proposals include accelerating the transition to clean energy, reinforcing action to combat climate change, making good on “substantive equality” for women, strengthening LGBTQ rights, and putting “special emphasis” on education.

She recounted her history in a “social struggle [that is] closely linked to the right to education” and then spoke of her political record, emphasizing achievements related to education, public security, public transportation, Internet connectivity, and clean energy—a preview of what the priorities of her national government would be. She touted, for example, the scholarship programs set up for girls and boys in public schools, the creation of more middle schools and two new universities (which serve almost 100,000 formerly excluded students), and the many resources her Mexico City government invested in the improvement of school campuses, as well as the new network of community centers where more than 400,000 residents of Mexico City engage in cultural activities and sports and take courses in financial planning.

Sheinbaum added that during her term there was a 58 percent reduction in “high-impact” crimes (homicides and violent robberies) in the city and that the proportion of the public that felt crime was a major issue dropped from 80 percent to 44 percent, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography—trends that are highly significant in a country reeling from decades of violence."

READ REPORT BY ARTURO CANO