things to know about Claudia Sheinbaum, the first woman elected president of Mexico

first woman elected president mexico

Here are 6 things to know about Claudia Sheinbaum, who became the first woman elected president of Mexico on Sunday.

1 - The first woman elected president of Mexico

Aged 61, Claudia Sheinbaum made Mexican history on Sunday, becoming the first woman elected as head of the country since its independence in 1821.

The new president also announced that she had not voted for herself on Sunday, but for a pioneer of the Mexican left, Ifigenia Martinez, aged 93.

2 - She is an environmental scientist

Raised by a biochemist mother and a chemist father, Claudia Sheinbaum holds a master's degree in energy engineering from the University of Mexico (UNAM), as well as a doctorate in energy engineering which she earned through work at Lawrence National Laboratory -Berkley of the US Department of Energy.

She has published dozens of scientific articles on energy efficiency, her favorite field. She also wrote part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in 2007, the year the group won the Nobel Peace Prize.

3 – She was mayor of Mexico City

She served as mayor of Mexico City, the country's capital, between 2018 and 2023. She is best known for increasing security on the streets and making life difficult for criminal gang leaders.

However, her years as mayor were also marred by the tragic collapse of a metro line when a train passed by on May 3, 2021. The tragedy left 27 dead and 79 injured.

The new president's government was singled out in the affair because reports showed that the accident was caused by construction defects.

4 – She succeeds her mentor

On October 1, the 61-year-old will take over from her political mentor, outgoing left-wing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, nicknamed AMLO.

When he was mayor of Mexico City between 2000 and 2006, he entrusted him with one of the most important portfolios in the administration, that of the environment. A strategic position in the megacity which had nine million inhabitants in 2023.

Claudia Sheinbaum thus contributed to the construction of the second floor of the “ring road”, a transport system set up to relieve congestion on one of the urban highways which crosses Mexico City. She is also behind the development of reserved bus lanes and cycle paths in the metropolis.

5 – She wants to fight against femicide

According to UN Women, 70% of Mexican women over the age of 15 have experienced gender-based violence at least once in their life, including sexual harassment and abuse.

The president-elect “will have a specific policy towards feminicides, which Lopez Obrador did not want to have”, hopes Pamela Starr, expert on Mexico at the University of Southern California.

Ms. Sheinbaum proposes creating teams dedicated to investigating feminicides. At the end of 2022, she accused the prosecutor's office in Morelos, a state south of Mexico, of protecting the alleged murderer of a young woman who disappeared in the capital.

6 – She wants to take on the cartels

To tackle cartels and violence in the country, she promised to target the causes of violence, strengthen the National Guard, and move towards a policy of “zero impunity” against criminals.

“We will lead Mexico on the path to peace and security,” Sheinbaum said after announcing her victory.

Cartels and violence have marked this electoral campaign. 37 political candidates have been killed in Mexico in recent months, including legislative and local elections that took place during the same period. 27,000 soldiers were mobilized on Sunday to ensure the security of the vote.