Mexico's first female President takes office

By James Blears

Claudia Sheinbaum aged 62,  is being inaugurated President in the San Lazaro Legislative complex in downtown Mexico City this morning.  As the chosen successor of outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and like him a former Mayor of Mexico City, Claudia was the Presidential Candidate of the leftist Morena Party.  She won a landslide victory and the Party won majorities in The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.  She has PhD in Energy Engineering,  a keen analytical mind and a pragmatic approach.  As mayor, she dealt efficiently in combatting covid and now she wants to pursue renewable energy policies as well as expand the electricity grid. Politically, she supported the policy of electing judges which has spooked international investors.  The Peso has lost more than ten per cent of its value on markets since she was elected. 

The Mexican economy hasn`t grown hardly at all in the last several years, inflation especially retail prices is rising and Claudia needs to come up with something innovative to curb the slide. 

The Mexican Government has shied away from direct conflict with the heavily armed drug cartels and their power has increased.  Already this week there have been mass protests in the northern State of Sinaloa, which is currently suffering a wave of killings.  The Mexican National Guard, which has mostly replaced Police Forces in Mexico, has been used to halt the mass migration of Central Americans across Mexico on their way to the US Border.  This is another issue that faces Claudia Sheinbaum.  She has a six-year non-renewable term to tackle these and a myriad of other problems.