The Mexican election of 2 June 2024 was historic. Claudia Sheinbaum became the first woman president in the country’s history (60% of the vote, against almost 30% for her right-wing opponent, Xochitl Galvez). Her status as a woman has strongly influenced her program, which is progressive on many fronts and emphasizes the fight for human rights, particularly women’s rights.

With regard to her origins, in 2000 this researcher gave her consent to “AMLO” (Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ex-president of Mexico) to manage Mexico City’s environment. Her profile is more international than that of her predecessor. His work on the environment, his stance in favor of women’s rights and against violence stemming from multiple factors in Mexico (drugs, human trafficking, etc.) raise real hopes in favor of human rights, which we hope will not be disappointed.

In this respect, a brief analysis of Claudia Sheinbaum’s main battles will enable us to consider the real significance of this election:

• On the subject of global policy, speaking to Le Monde (a French newspaper), she spoke of a policy geared towards the South before referring to her big neighbor to the North. She wants to strengthen ties with Brazil’s Laula and with the neighboring Guatemala of the progressive Bernardo Arevalo. With the United States, now the country’s biggest trading partner and the most concerned by the thorny issues of migration and drug trafficking, she first asserts “the inviolable principle of respect for the sovereignty and independence of each country”. “We have many working groups with our American partners, which will continue, whether with President Biden or Donald Trump”, she emphasized.
• Regarding internal policy, like the former President, she promises to give priority to internal issues. She is committed to completing her predecessor’s projects (the Maya train, the inter-oceanic train and the dos Bocas refinery), those he was unable to complete (justice reform) and those he promised to improve (health, education, and insecurity). Ms Sheinbaum is also making her mark on women’s rights, public transport and renewable energy.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – JUNE 03: Presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum of “Sigamos Haciendo Historia” coalition gives a speech after the first results released by the election authorities show that she leads the polls by wide margin after the presidential election at Hilton Hotel on June 03, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. According to the Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) over 100 million people were allowed to vote on the 2024 Presidential Election in Mexico. Claudia Sheinbaum of ’Sigamos Haciendo Historia’ coalition will become the first woman president of Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

As far as women’s rights are concerned, the criminal punishment of abortion has been ruled unconstitutional, facilitating access to voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG). From now on, “all women and people capable of pregnancy will be able to have access to abortions in federal health institutions” (Groupe d’information sur la reproduction choisie (Gire)). Furthermore, the number of feminicides remains extremely high and crimes of this type are not properly investigated. According to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, an average of nine women were killed every day in 2023.
More generally (but still strongly linked to women), human trafficking and, as a result, enforced disappearances are still commonplace in Mexico. According to Amnesty, more than 114,000 people have been officially reported missing or disappeared since 1962. Relatives of the disappeared who try to trace them are still at serious risk of enforced disappearance or murder.

The fight against cartels and drugs is also part of a general policy that has a direct impact on the situations described above. With a program based in part on women’s rights, there is a certain consistency when Ms Sheinbaum states that she is fighting against the cartels and the violence associated with them. In this sense, ISHR hopes for an effective policy to combat this scourge, which would lead to a definite improvement in human rights in Mexico.

Zocalo Square in Mexico City – Image copyright free Flag, Mexican flag, Mexico, 2023, Adult

Finally, the new President has a background that is essentially geared towards defending the environment. One of the pillars of her forthcoming mandate will therefore be to improve Mexico’s environmental record, which still has a long way to go (no country is exempt from this observation). However, and this is just one inconsistency among many, Claudia Sheinbaum also wants to complete major infrastructure projects such as the Mayan train, which has been denounced by numerous NGOs as a disaster for the environment (filling in of the cenotes leading to heavy pollution of the ecosystems) but also for the local populations along the train’s planned route.

As we have seen, Ms. Sheinbaum’s accession to the presidency of Mexico is full of hope for the country and will perhaps serve as a model for others. However, we will need to keep a close eye on developments in human rights and environmental policies to confirm the positive nature of this presidency.