MEXICO CITY: Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico’s first woman president by a landslide, making history in a country plagued by rampant criminal and gender-based violence.

Flag-waving supporters sang and danced to mariachi music on Sunday in celebration of the ruling party candidate’s victory, in a nation where around 10 women or girls are murdered every day.

“I want to thank millions of Mexican women and men who decided to vote for us on this historic day,” Sheinbaum told the cheering crowd.

The 61-year-old former Mexico City mayor thanked her main opposition rival Xochitl Galvez, who conceded defeat.

Mexico’s outgoing leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hailed Sheinbaum’s victory as a “historic event,” while US President Joe Biden said he looked forward to working with her “in the spirit of partnership and friendship.”

Sheinbaum, a scientist by training, won around 58-60 per cent of votes, according to preliminary official results from the National Electoral Institute, which estimated turnout at 60pc.

That was more than 30 percentage points ahead of Galvez, and some 50 percentage points ahead of the only man running, centrist Jorge Alvarez Maynez.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2024