Mexico’s President Sheinbaum presses charges after street assault
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has urged a nationwide review of sexual harassment laws after being groped while greeting supporters near the presidential palace in Mexico City.
The 63-year-old leader filed charges against a man who allegedly approached her while intoxicated, placing an arm around her shoulder and touching her hip and chest as he attempted to kiss her neck. Sheinbaum quickly pushed him away before one of her aides intervened. The incident was captured on video, and her security detail was not immediately present.
“My thinking is: If I don’t file a complaint, what becomes of other Mexican women? If this happens to the president, what will happen to all the women in our country?”
During her morning press briefing on Wednesday, Sheinbaum emphasized that the situation highlights the urgent need to strengthen protections for women in Mexico, a country with a troubling record on gender-based violence.
“Presenté una denuncia por el episodio de acoso que viví ayer en la Ciudad de México. Debe quedar claro que, más allá de ser presidenta, esto es algo que viven muchas mujeres en el país y en el mundo; nadie puede vulnerar nuestro cuerpo y espacio personal.”
In a social media statement, she reiterated that the attack reflects what many women endure both in Mexico and around the world.
Author’s Summary
Following a public assault, President Sheinbaum seeks nationwide reform of harassment laws, calling attention to persistent threats against women’s dignity and safety across Mexico.