Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, made allegations against a man who sexually harassed her and attempted to kiss her while she was taking a walk on the street during a break from a meeting on Wednesday (November 5th).
As Mexico’s first female president, Sheinbaum emphasized, “If even the president faces such treatment, what kind of situation will young women in our country be in?”
She called on states to review legal procedures, simplify the process for women to report cases, and stressed that Mexican society needs to hear a “clear and firm rejection: women’s personal space is not to be violated.”
This incident has also raised questions about Sheinbaum’s security team. Similar to her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Sheinbaum only has minimal security personnel and actively engages with the public, including mingling in crowds.
She stated on Wednesday that she has no intention of changing this practice, emphasizing, “We must be close to the people.”
The incident took place on November 4th in the historic center of the capital. Sheinbaum was walking from the National Palace to the Ministry of Education, interacting with people along the way.
A video circulating online shows a middle-aged man embracing Sheinbaum, touching her chest, and attempting to kiss her. She pushed him away before accompanying personnel intervened. The president’s bodyguard team seemed not to be by her side at that time.
Sheinbaum stated that the man appeared to be intoxicated.
At the same time, Sheinbaum criticized the publication of the image of the man harassing her in the Mexican newspaper “Reforma,” accusing the newspaper of committing “secondary harm” and crossing ethical boundaries.
“The use of this image in itself is a crime,” Sheinbaum cited the Anti-Digital Violence Law, emphasizing that she is waiting for an apology from the newspaper.
The Federal Women’s Department, led by Sheinbaum, released a statement on Tuesday encouraging women to report incidents of violence, while also urging the media not to publish content that damages women’s dignity.
Ana Yeli Perez from the National Observatory on Femicide stated that the incident of harassment against Sheinbaum put violence against women back in the national agenda.
She said, “This is a shameful act that must be condemned and clearly identified, as it is not just a form of violence but a reality women face daily.”
Sheinbaum advocates for sexual harassment to be classified as a “criminal offense subject to legal punishment” and disclosed that she has requested the Mexican Women’s Department to review laws in different states.
Currently, about half of the states in Mexico as well as Mexico City have classified sexual harassment as a criminal offense.
Local media confirmed that the man who attacked Sheinbaum is named Uriel Rivera, and records from the state security department show that he was arrested at 9 p.m. on the 4th.
(Adapted from Reuters)