Who is Claudia Sheinbaum? How can she change Mexico if elected President?

After the last vote has been cast in the Indian parliamentary election on June 1, the action shifts to Mexico where 100 million voters will vote to fill 20,700 positions at the federal and local levels. This election will decide the next President of the country considered to be an emerging economy. In the latest survey, Claudia Sheinbaum is leading. She belongs to the Morena party which was founded by the incumbent President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Before contesting the presidential election, Claudia served as the Mayor of Mexico City and is considered to be a confidante of the incumbent president. Her rival is Xochitl Galvez. Mexico would have created history by electing its first woman president after these polls.

Who is Claudia Sheinbaum?

She is a Mexican national of Jewish heritage. Her grandparents migrated from Lithuania and Bulgaria to escape discrimination and persecution. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She finished her Masters and a post-doctoral degree in the subject of Environmental Engineering and this included tenure at the University of Berkley in California. Throughout her student life, she had a flare for public service and was active in assisting the poverty-stricken people of Mexico. She undertook various projects for their welfare.

Tryst with Politics?

In 2000, she was appointed as the Environmental Minister of Mexico City by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who was then the mayor of Mexico City. She is remembered for having improved the city’s public transport system and ensuring the construction of the second story of Periferico which is a beltway road that encircles the capital’s urban areas.

After being elected as the Mayor of Mexico City in 2018, she is known to have focused on improving the law and order situation in the capital and crushing gangs that have often destabilized the country. She is known to have empowered the local police force, despite opposition from the President who preferred using the military to take on the gangs.

Future challenges:

Mexico has been an emerging economy in recent times and she will have a tough task ahead maintaining and enhancing economic growth, dealing with issues about climate change, and also focusing on maintaining transparency in government.

FAQ’s

1. What is Claudia Sheinbaum’s position on energy transition?
Claudia Sheinbaum has supported moving away from reliance on traditional fossil fuels and adopting state-subsidized renewable energy. This will be her focus area upon entering the office of the President.

2. What is expected to be Claudia Sheinbaum’s outlook on foreign policy issues?
She is expected to focus on bringing environmentalism into foreign policy and promote sustainable development on the global stage. She is expected to continue having a friendly approach towards Mexico’s northern neighbor, the US.