Ruben Navarrette: Mexico welcomes first female president. But how much has really changed? – West Central Tribune

SAN DIEGO — Is what’s happening in Mexico a miracle? Or a mirage?

Every now and then I like to do a wellness check in the old country. I go through the ritual to honor the memory of my grandfather, Roman – who came to the United States with about 600,000 of his fellow countrymen as a boy during the Mexican Revolution. All of these people came legally because the revolution ended in 1920, and—with the exception of the Chinese—migrants could not come to the United States illegally until after the Immigration Act of 1924.

The United States cannot learn from its mistakes. Worse still, he doesn’t even want to remember them. Whether it’s enslaving Africans, sending away Jewish refugees during World War II, or conquering half the territory of Mexico in the mid-1800s, Americans like to think they have clean hands. In some states, Republican lawmakers are banning critical race theory and other curricula that detail past sins.

Mexico, on the other hand, is the country that does not forget. It often seems stuck in its own history, which has sometimes been tragic and sad. It is a country that is constantly at war with itself – with Mexicans disagreeing with each other over color, class, political beliefs, etc.

Kit Grode / Grandstand image

Now Mexico is writing history with a new chapter. On October 1, Claudia Sheinbaum – a 61-year-old environmental engineer and climate scientist with a Ph.D. who was mayor of Mexico City, shattered the glass ceiling when she was sworn in as its first presidenta.

Representing the popular Morena party – which stands up for the poor and takes on the elites, and which, together with its allies, has a comfortable majority in Congress and controls three-quarters of state legislatures – she won almost 60% of the vote in the June elections. .

In addition to being the first woman to lead a country still mired in machismo, Sheinbaum — a fluent English speaker who has lived in the United States — is now also the first Jewish president of a country that has always been largely Catholic .

Then there is the AMLO factor. One of the things that helped Sheinbaum become president is her longstanding alliance with outgoing populist Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The new president is a protege of the former president, and many observers expect Sheinbaum to follow AMLO’s lead on many issues.

This includes perhaps the most difficult challenge any Mexican president will face: how to deal with powerful cartels and criminal syndicates in a way that avoids being dealt with by them. AMLO’s approach was “hugs, not bullets,” a program that offered government aid and social programs with the intention of uplifting the working class to make cartels less attractive to young recruits. This dubious initiative — which experts insist has done nothing to curb drug violence and reduce the cartels’ influence — could last a while, as Sheinbaum has promised that her government will not go to war with the cartels.

In other policy areas, however, there could be some daylight between Sheinbaum and her mentor. At the top of that list is energy policy, which matters much south of the border. AMLO doubled down on fossil fuels and – in the name of promoting nationalism – tightened Mexico’s grip on its oil industry. But Sheinbaum has spent a career studying climate science and she believes in promoting cleaner forms of renewable energy. Expect a parting of the ways.

The problem is that AMLO is not someone you can easily divorce. Incredibly, he left office after serving a six-year term, as required by the Mexican Constitution, with an approval rating of over 70%. Recently, at a rally outside the president’s home, thousands of supporters gathered to pay their respects. Some sang: “No te vayas” (don’t go). This is not a typical farewell for Mexican presidents.

Last but not least, Sheinbaum will have to manage the US-Mexico relationship, which has room for improvement. Americans look south and think of migrants and drugs, both of which they don’t want but also can’t live without. Mexicans look north and think of oil and trade, both of which they pretend to protect, but which they would like to export to their neighbor at the right price.
It’s a new day in Mexico. That’s what they say. Exactly how ‘new’ is remains to be seen.