Former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum was officially inaugurated Tuesday as the first president in the history of Mexico since independence in 1821, succeeding the very popular Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
“I am a mother, a grandmother, a scientist, and a woman of faith, and from today, by the will of the people of Mexico, president,” Ms. Sheinbaum, 62, said after taking the oath of office before the deputies and senators gathered in congress.
“I don’t arrive alone, we all arrive,” added the trained physicist, in tribute to the famous and anonymous women of Mexico.
In June, she won the presidential election with almost 60% of the votes under the label of the ruling left-wing party Movement for National Regeneration (Morena) and its allies.
With nearly 36 million votes, she is the best elected to the presidency in the history of the country, buoyed by the popularity of the outgoing president.
Morena and his allies have a comfortable qualified majority in Parliament allowing them to modify the Constitution without opposition.
“Presidenta, presidenta”, chanted the deputies and senators of his camp, jostling for a selfie with their tutelary figure.
“First the poor” or even “republican austerity”: the president of the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world (129 million inhabitants) has broken down her program into ten principles, based on the results of her predecessor.
Taking into account the causes of violence, more information and investigations, “reinforcement of the National Guard”, more coordination between the authorities, zero impunity: Ms. Sheinbaum also recalled her method in the face of violence.
Mexico has recorded more than 400,000 deaths and some 100,000 missing since former President Felipe Calderon launched the army against the cartels in December 2006, with the effect of multiplying criminal gangs.
“Our government will guarantee all freedoms,” she continued, assuring that “those who say there will be authoritarianism are lying.”
“Be certain that the investments of national and foreign shareholders will be safe in our country,” she insisted.
Ms. Sheinbaum takes power in the middle of a controversy provoked by a reform of the judiciary approved and promulgated by her predecessor.
An almost unique case in the world, it provides for the election of judges by popular vote from June 2025.
This reform “threatens the historic commercial relationship that we have built”, the ambassador of the United States, Mexico’s largest trading partner, expressed concern at the end of August.
“The judiciary is standing” chanted dozens of justice employees who demonstrated near the Chamber of Deputies, continuing a mobilization of several weeks against the reform.
From Wednesday in Acapulco
After her speech to Congress, the president will receive her guests for lunch at the National Palace, seat of the presidency, including the first lady of the United States Jill Biden, and the President of Brazil Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
The party is also in the streets on this holiday. Hundreds of people followed the inauguration ceremony from the central square of the Zocalo, where the president must go at 5:00 p.m. (01:00 a.m. Swiss).
“It’s historic,” says Maria Diaz Lopez, 77, very moved to see a woman president.
Coming from Oaxaca (south), Natalia Ramirez Nicolas, 52, hopes that she will continue “programs for the elderly, scholarships for students”.
“We arrived at five in the morning,” Marta Rosa Ramirez Masias, who came from Leon in the north, told AFPTV.
The former mayor of Mexico City takes over from her mentor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who launched her into politics in 2000 as deputy for the Environment at Mexico City City Hall.
Mr. Lopez Obrador leaves power with a popularity of more than 70%, especially among modest circles.
“We are grateful to the president and we have come to greet his departure,” said Jesus Morales Gonzalez from Cordoba in the state of Veracruz (southeast).
“We hope that the new president will continue to support ‘first the poor’ as the president said, the countryside, reforestation,” he adds, repeating a slogan of the outgoing president.
Hurricanes, security, economy, relations with the United States: the hot issues await the president immediately after the festivities.
Ms. Sheinbaum recalled that she would go to Acapulco, on the Pacific, on Wednesday to “make an assessment” of the damage caused by Hurricane John, which left 15 dead in the country in its path.
This article was automatically published. Sources: ats / afp
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