The Mexican Sheinbaum takes charge of a country that faces major challenges

New Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrates after her election victory – Copyright AFP Gerardo Luna

Daniel Rook

Claudia Sheinbaum will be sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Tuesday, taking charge of the violence-wracked Latin American country at a time of mounting security, economic and diplomatic challenges.

The 62-year-old former mayor of Mexico City and ruling party heavyweight will immediately be tested by cartel violence, friction with key international allies and opposition to controversial judicial reforms.

A scientist by training, Sheinbaum won a landslide election victory in June with a promise to continue the left-wing reform agenda of outgoing leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a close ally.

Sheinbaum’s relations with the United States, Mexico’s top trading partner and a key ally in areas such as security and migration, will depend largely on who wins the U.S. election on Nov. 5.

Sheinbaum could probably “develop a pretty good relationship with Kamala Harris because they are very similar,” said Pamela Starr, a professor of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California.

“They are both women who will become the first female president of their country. So they are both interested in promoting women’s issues and women’s rights. They are both largely on the same page when it comes to climate change. And they’re both very progressive,” she said.

Relations with Donald Trump, if he wins, would be “much more difficult, in part because he doesn’t respect female leaders as much as he respects male leaders,” Starr said.

And because Sheinbaum is not a populist, “he will not see in her the kindred spirit he saw in Lopez Obrador,” she added.

Trump’s pledge to deport significant numbers of undocumented immigrants would pose a major challenge to Mexico-US relations, experts say.

In that case, “passions on both sides of the border will be inflamed and the relationship could be severely tested,” said Michael Shifter, an expert at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.

Even before taking office, Sheinbaum was embroiled in a diplomatic row with Spain, another major economic partner, after she refused to invite King Felipe VI to her inauguration and accused him of failing to recognize the damage caused by colonization.

-‘More pragmatic’ –

While Sheinbaum’s presidency is unlikely to herald a radical change in direction for the world’s most populous Spanish-speaking country, home to 129 million people, she is expected to bring her own style of leadership, experts say.

“She is more pragmatic and less ideological than Lopez Obrador,” Starr told AFP.

Lopez Obrador is leaving office due to the country’s one-term limit, enjoying an approval rating of around 70 percent.

He puts Sheinbaum in charge of a country where murders and kidnappings occur daily and where ultra-violent cartels involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling and other crimes control large swathes of territory.

In the northwestern state of Sinaloa, the cartel battle has claimed the lives of dozens of people in recent weeks.

Gender-based violence is another major problem: about ten women or girls are murdered every day across the country.

“Sheinbaum’s primary challenge will be addressing the deteriorating security situation in Mexico,” Shifter said.

“Lopez Obrador has relied mainly on rhetoric to tackle the spread of cartel activity, but Sheinbaum will likely be data-driven and technocratic in her approach to this difficult problem and will seek to improve police effectiveness,” he added.

Lopez Obrador prioritized tackling the root causes of crime such as poverty and inequality – a policy he calls “hugs, not bullets.”

In his final weeks as president, the self-styled anti-corruption fighter has introduced controversial reforms, including the election of all judges by popular vote.

Critics warned that the changes would make it easier for politicians and organized crime to influence the courts.

The reforms upset both foreign investors and key trading partners, the United States and Canada.

Once in power, Sheinbaum will likely look for ways to address the concerns, Shifter said.

“She is pragmatic in every respect and understands that Mexico cannot afford to both antagonize governments and alienate investors,” he added.