Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo61 years old and originally from Mexico City, was elected as the first president of Mexico in an election marked by high participation and a resounding victory for the ruling party, Morena.
Sheinbaum Pardo, a university activist in her youth, a doctor in Physics and head of government of the capital before aspiring to the presidency, obtained between 58.6% and 60.7% of the votes cast.
Although the figures are preliminary, the quick count indicates that the result exceeds the 53% achieved by his predecessor and political mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), in 2018.
The high number of voters reflects the mobilization of an electorate marked by the strong polarization in the country. Sheinbaum, successor to the populist López Obrador, capitalized on the outgoing president’s support, even though she herself lacks the same level of political charisma.
Despite the euphoria generated by the election of the first female president in 200 years of independence, it is important to analyze the context and implications of this result. Sheinbaum’s victory highlights the lack of viable alternatives and the weakness of the opposition, represented by Xochitl Galvezwho obtained between 26% and 28% of the votes.
Although Morena’s emergence represented a novelty in the Mexican political landscape, AMLO’s mandate and Sheinbaum’s “continuity” are beginning to be perceived by some analysts as a return to the times of absolute control by “PRIism.”
The election, held in an environment of violence (with 37 candidates murdered during the campaign), highlights the serious security problems that persist in the country, aggravated by even greater territorial control by mafias and drug cartels.
Furthermore, the centralization of power in Morena raises concerns about the balance of power and the future of democracy in Mexico.
Sheinbaum has promised to govern for all citizens, but his ability to address economic and security challenges, without resorting to populism and without relying on López Obrador’s legacy, remains to be seen. The new president will need to demonstrate that she can implement effective and sustainable policies rather than solely following the rhetoric of her predecessor.
Foreign investment and remittances have increased in Mexico, but inequality and violence remain significant barriers to development. Sheinbaum will have to deal with these realities as he attempts to consolidate his leadership and prevent his administration from being seen as a mere continuation of López Obrador’s mandate.
What position does the future Mexican president have regarding the Cuban regime?
In the last televised debate between the candidates for the presidency of Mexico, focused on foreign policy issues, Sheinbaum maintained that “submission in foreign policy is over” and referred to episodes of previous PAN governments to exemplify the “rescue.” of Mexican sovereignty by AMLO.
In that sense, he cited the phrase that Vincent Fox he said in a private conversation to the dictator Fidel Castro prior to the celebration of the International Conference on Financing for Development that was held in Monterrey, on March 22, 2002, according to Newscast.
“You eat and you leave,” Fox proposed in a call that he himself Fidel Castro leaked, and which revealed the concern of the host and Mexican leader to avoid a problematic meeting between the dictator and the American president George W. Bush. Although the phrase is not verbatim, it was framed as an image of Fox’s supposed submission to the United States.
“AMLO’s policy abroad is a source of pride, it is a symbol of pride. We receive vaccines during the pandemic“Said Sheinbaum Pardo during the debate. Precisely, she was in charge – as governor of the Mexican capital – of deny fraud accusation in the hiring of 585 Cuban doctors without academic qualifications to address the emergency situation generated by COVID-19 at the end of 2020 in your country.
“There is absolutely nothing to hide, there were different health professionals who came to Mexico to support, there were two periods where they were, mainly in Mexico City, although also in other entities and we can gladly give them all the information, I believe that the Ministry of Health already did it, how many doctors, specialist nurses, joined to save lives in our city,” declared the then head of Government of Mexico City.
Accusing the right of looking “where there is absolutely nothing,” in order to show “some issue in relation to this solidarity that we receive from Cuban doctors,” Sheinbaum acknowledged that his government paid for that solidarity.
“Of course they were paid, this solidarity was not free, the doctors were paid, just as the Mexican doctors were paid and a totally official agreement was made,” said the official.
In the shadow of AMLO, the winner of the elections and future president of Mexico has seen strengthen the ties of the Mexican National Palace with the Palace of the Revolution of the Cuban regime.
Recruitment of doctors, purchase of vaccines developed in Cuba, understandings on immigration issuesstatements in favor of lifting the US embargo and supply of oil at preferential prices have shaped the political harmony between AMLO and the Cuban regime.
In this period of rapprochement, Mexico became the second supplier of crude oil to Cuba, behind Venezuela. The United States has demanded clarity from its Mexican partners in relation to Havana’s payments for shipments that López Obrador described as donations, contrary to the explanations offered by the president of PEMEX (the state-owned company Petróleos de México).
“Evidently we have to strengthen the relationship with the United States and Canada, we have a Free Trade Agreement, today we are the main trading partners with the United States. There are already dialogues of high understanding on economic matters, on migration matters, on security matters, and we are going to maintain those dialogues,” Sheinbaum indicated in the debate before the elections.
Time will tell if the first president of Mexico will maintain the special relationship built with Havana by her predecessor, or if she will surprise and distance herself from a regime that denies rights and freedoms to Cubans, including those to freely and democratically elect who govern them.
