Mexico elects its first female president

3 months ago

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MEXICO CITY — Claudia Sheinbaum, an biology intelligence and erstwhile politician of Mexico City, was overwhelmingly elected Mexico’s first female president connected Sunday, a historical milestone successful a state rife pinch gender-based unit and misogyny.

With astir 40% of nan votes counted, Mexico’s electoral agency estimates that Sheinbaum is connected way to triumph nan title pinch betwixt 58% to complete 60% of votes. Her nearest rival, Xóchitl Gálvez is projected to get betwixt 26% and 28% of nan vote, pinch nan different guidance candidate, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, between 9%-10% of nan vote.

In her victory reside to supporters, Sheinbaum said some rivals had conceded and had called to congratulate her connected her victory. “I will go nan first female president of Mexico”, she told nan crowd.

The man wide seen arsenic her governmental mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, posted his congratulations connected X, formerly known arsenic twitter.

Sheinbaum has been nan starring campaigner to triumph nan presidency for much than a year. In a state pinch 1 of nan highest rates of murder against women in nan world, Sheinbaum’s triumph underscores nan advances women person made successful nan governmental sphere.

The 61-year aged ambiance intelligence was portion of nan U.N. Intergovernmental Panel connected Climate Change squad that would spell connected to stock a Nobel Peace Prize with erstwhile U.S. Vice President Al Gore successful 2007. Now, Sheinbaum — who has grandparents who escaped nan Holocaust — will clasp nan astir powerful agency successful nan country.

Elena Poniatowska, 92, 1 of Mexico’s astir distinguished writers, has chronicled decades of women’s history successful nan country. “I’ve ever believed successful women,” Poniatowska told NPR, days earlier nan election. “I deliberation it’s not a dream. I deliberation it’s a conflict that has been won.”

Despite nan historical quality of Sheinbaum’s victory, galore voters successful Mexico spot it little arsenic a reflection of gender equality and much arsenic a referendum connected nan past six years of López Obrador, colloquially known by his initials arsenic AMLO.

He is 1 of nan astir divisive — and celebrated — figures successful Mexican history: a folksy populist who has implemented social programs that person lifted millions of group retired of poverty but who critics opportunity has undermined antiauthoritarian institutions while empowering nan military.

Ignacio Morales formed his ballot connected Sunday for Sheinbaum because she has López Obrador’s backing, who Morales considers “perfect.”

“I don’t person a batch of life near to live, but I will support him to nan death,” said Morales, 77, who is retired. Morales rattled disconnected a database of reasons: López Obrador has started “marvelous projects” for illustration caller train lines and lipid refineries; he gives a monthly pension to aged Mexicans and, astir importantly, he takes attraction of nan poor.

Under Mexico’s constitution, presidents tin only service 1 six-year term.

She is López Obrador’s governmental protege. She started her governmental profession arsenic his biology curate aft he was elected politician of Mexico City successful 2000. She has been unwaveringly loyal ever since, moreover supporting his pro-oil power schedule contempt her biology background.

While Sheinbaum lacks López Obrador’s charisma and celebrated appeal, she has a estimation for being analytical, disciplined and exacting. Most importantly, she has promised to support López Obrador’s policies and celebrated societal programs, including a cosmopolitan pension use for seniors arsenic good arsenic providing rate payments to low-income residents.

“Claudia represents nan continuation of AMLO,” said Norma Bautista Herrera, who sells vegetables astatine a marketplace successful Mexico City. After López Obrador’s predetermination successful 2018, Bautista Herrera began receiving monthly payments of 660 pesos, astir $38, to thief her support her 11-year-old daughter. With that money, she buys family equipment for illustration soap, eggs, sweetener and Clorox.

Gálvez, Sheinbaum’s nearest competitor for nan presidency, is an Indigenous, pro-business tech entrepreneur who represented respective constitution guidance parties. Despite her compelling life story, Gálvez could ne'er region herself from nan corruption and disenchantment that voters associated pinch those parties.

Many who formed their ballot for Gálvez were much motivated by her promised break from López Obrador and nan electoral powerfulness of his Morena statement than Gálvez’s run promises. In a state that saw one-party norm for 70 years until 2000, they interest astir Lopez Obrador’s moves to undermine judicial independency and his information argumentation that has resulted successful grounds precocious homicides.

“He’s a dictator, and Sheinbaum is his puppet,” said Almarosa Anaya, opinionated extracurricular a polling halfway successful Mexico City’s upscale Roma Norte vicinity pinch her 2 big daughters. She said López Obrador wants to move Mexico into a communist country, “like Venezuela and Cuba.”

These elections person besides been historical for different grim reason: They person been 1 of nan astir violent. In nan tally up to these elections, much than 30 candidates were assassinated.

In nan mini municipality of San Nicolás Tolentino successful Puebla state, voting went connected arsenic normal. But successful nan religion nearby, family and friends gathered for the ceremonial of Jorge Luis Huerta Cabrera.

Huerta was moving for nan metropolis assembly arsenic a campaigner for nan Green statement but he was gunned down connected Friday. As group voted, Huerta’s casket was carried done nan town. Church bells tolled and fireworks exploded successful nan midday sun.

“No 1 knows who is next,” Huerta’s father, José Huerta Moctezuma, said.

His son, he said, ever told him he was calved for politics. “He was hardheaded,” he said. “He did what he wanted.”

In nan end, he said, it was a rival statement personnel who changeable him to death.

“We request a betterment that changes nan societal fabric, that brings bid and justice, because it’s not adjacent that we are forced to unrecorded this way.”

Sheinbaum will person to tackle this increasing unit and a big of different pressing issues erstwhile she takes agency connected October 1.

She has a important mandate, but faces important challenges.

She has to tackle nan largest fund shortage since nan 1980s, increasing powerfulness of nan cartels, and nan perennially analyzable narration pinch nan U.S.

Source Alaska Public