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Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s new president in Mexico City’s San Lázaro Legislative Palace this Tuesday. In her inauguration, she underscored the historic significance of electing the first woman president, while promising to adhere closely to her predecessor’s political agenda.
Wearing her presidential sash, she began her speech by thanking foreign dignitaries, but she saved the most thanks to former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), whose coattails she rode into the National Palace. In a displayal of gratitude and loyalty, Sheinbaum honored the “most important president in modern Mexican history,” calling him a “social fighter, “one of the great ones,” “the most loved president, only comparable with Lázaro Cárdenas” (think Abraham Lincoln), and “for millions, though he doesn’t like being told this, the best president of Mexico.”
Through the non-stop showering of compliments, Sheinbaum explained that although the apparently very humble AMLO is opposed to having streets and towns named after him, none of it is necessary because he will “forever be where only those who fight their entire lives reside […] forever in the heart of the Mexican people.” The thanks continued for at least three more minutes, coming to an end with the crowd’s chants — ¡Es un honor estar con Obrador! (“It’s an honor to be with Obrador”).
Maybe a little much? It’s important to note that AMLO is leaving office with an eighty-plus approval rating. Like him or not, he’s an icon.
In her speech, Sheinbaum also thanked the many Mexicans that came before her, emphasizing the pivotal role of women, including journalist Leona Vicario and painter Frida Kahlo. She promised to expand on AMLO’s “Mexican Humanism,” a staunchly anti-neoliberal development model. Other themes included farming, transportation, innovation, relations with Latin American countries and climate change.
California governor Gavin Newsom reacted to her swearing-in calling it “a pivotal moment, not only for Mexico but for women and girls around the world.” Similarly, President Joe Biden, who sent a delegation led by the first lady to the inauguration, celebrated the ceiling-breaking.
“We congratulate the people of Mexico on the historic inauguration of their first woman president … The United States is committed to continuing to work with Mexico to deliver the democratic, prosperous, and secure future that the people of our two countries deserve,” a White House statement reads.
This morning Sheinbuam had her first mañanera (morning briefing), a practice she’s inherited from AMLO. Unlike her charming former boss, who loves deep dives into history and spats with the press, Sheinbaum has a more serious demeanor.
Part of this was to be expected, after all. Known as La Doctora (the doctor), Sheinbaum presents herself as — and is — quite an unorthodox figure in Latin American politics. She has a populist message, but she’s also a Nobel Peace Prize-winning physicist — a big city academic, not a modest-backgrounded machine politician.
Holding on to the podium, sporting a tight ponytail, a white turtleneck and a navy jacket, a confident Sheinbaum delivered a relatively strong first mañanera. She talked about finalizing picks for her cabinet, growing security concerns, infrastructure projects, meeting First Lady Jill Biden and Mexico’s diplomatic relationship with Spain, which has been soured following Sheinbaum’s decision to exclude the Spanish king, Felipe VI, from her inauguration.
Notably, Sheinbaum answered a question regarding the controversial judicial reform aiming to make around 1,600 federal judicial posts elected offices — including those on their supreme court. From the US, the reform has been widely criticized as a threat to Mexican democracy, blurring the lines between government officials and the judiciary. It is worth mentioning that many believe fears regarding the judicial overhaul to be exaggerated. Still, the memory of regional case studies in countries like Bolivia and Venezuela are what makes many think tankers in DC worry.
Sheinbaum tells Mexico — and clearly the United States — that those who say that “authoritarianism is coming” have their own agendas, and that she believes that most will be satisfied with the reforms. “Fake,” she labeled the concerns.
By the end of the briefing, Sheinbaum joked about taking more questions from women reporters than men — years behind her former boss in comedy, but it’s only day one. Overall, her recent appearances show that the change in demeanor won’t be accompanied with much divergence in policy. Sheinbaum is no AMLO, but like him, she walks and talks like a populist and an anti-imperialist. For the US, this means a very different negotiator but, essentially, the same terms.
