Claudia Sheinbaum has made history by becoming the first elected female president of Mexico following a landslide victory at Sunday’s general election. She is replacing outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who provided her the support base.
Sheinbaum is a climate scientist and former Mayor of Mexico City. She secured nearly 60% of the votes although not all votes have been counted as at press time.
Opposition candidate, Xochitl Galvez, has already conceded defeat after preliminary results showed her leading with 30% of the votes.
The result shows this might be the largest voter turnout in the history of Mexican democracy.
The ruling coalition is expected to gain a supermajority two-thirds seats in both chambers of Congress after all vote counts are completed. This majority would enable them to enact constitutional changes without opposition support.
According to other results coming in, the ruling MORENA party not only won the presidency and parliament, but also secured the Mexico City mayoralty – one of the country’s most powerful posts.
Victory Speech
In her victory speech, Sheinbaum said, “For the first time in the 200 years of the republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico,” she declared to her supporters amid loud cheers of “president, president.”
Sheinbaum thanked Lopez Obrador, calling him “a unique person who has transformed our country for the better.”
She assured supporters that her government would be fiscally responsible and respect the central bank’s autonomy.
Opponents made a huge accusation during the campaign of some personal relationship between the incoming president and President Obrador, but she shrugged it off.
Violent Election
This election was tagged the most violent in Mexico’s modern history, with 38 candidates murdered. Many analysts note that organized crime groups expanded their influence during Lopez Obrador’s term.
On election day, Sunday, two persons were killed in Puebla state. Over 185,000 people were killed during President Obrador’s presidency, more than in any other administration in Mexico modern history.
Sexist Mexican Society
Sheinbaum’s victory is a milestone for Mexico, a country traditionally known for its macho culture and strong Roman Catholic influence. It has historically promoted more traditional roles for women.
“I never imagined that one day I would vote for a woman,” said one elderly female supporter of Sheinbaum in a small Mexican city. “Before, we couldn’t even vote; when you could, it was to vote for the person your husband told you to vote for. Thank God that has changed, and I get to live it,” Montiel added.
Governance Challenges
Despite her victory, Sheinbaum faces a myriad of challenges ahead. She must deal with a huge budget deficit, slow economic growth and decaying infrastructure while keeping her welfare promises to the poor.
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