Claudia Sheinbaum Inaugurated as Mexico’s First Female President

In a historic moment for Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was officially inaugurated as the country’s first female president on October 1, 2024. The ceremony took place at the Congress of the Union, located in the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro in Mexico City, commencing at 9 a.m. local time or 10 a.m. Central time.

The event saw Sheinbaum receiving the presidential sash from Ifigenia Martínez, the president of Mexico’s Chamber of Congress, a symbolic act marking the transition of power from outgoing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. “For the first time, we women have come to lead the destiny of our beautiful nation,” Sheinbaum remarked in her address.

Spectators included politicians from Mexico and presidents of various African and Latin American countries. Thousands gathered in Mexico City’s Zócalo square, where the inauguration was broadcast on large screens.

Born on June 24, 1962, in Mexico City, Sheinbaum comes from a family with Jewish Sephardic roots, with her maternal grandparents having emigrated from Bulgaria in the 1940s. Her academic background includes a degree in physics and further studies in engineering energy, both completed at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Succeeding a successful tenure as Mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum is anticipated to continue López Obrador’s policies. The Morena party, to which Sheinbaum belongs, has maintained significant political influence since López Obrador’s election in 2018.

López Obrador, who leaves office with an approval rating nearing 80%, is lauded for social programs and welfare policies aimed at reducing poverty and corruption. However, crime and violence have remained prevalent issues, with high homicide rates during his presidency.

Sheinbaum faces the challenge of addressing the ongoing violence crisis, economic concerns such as a budget deficit, and diplomatic tensions, particularly with the United States. Prominent U.S. attendees at her inauguration included Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.