Claudia Sheinbaum took office this Tuesday as the first woman President of Mexico, marking a milestone in the country’s history. During a solemn ceremony in the Chamber of Deputies, Sheinbaum vowed to perform her duties with loyalty and uphold the Constitution for the period 2024-2030.
“Honorable Congress of the Union, people of Mexico, I protest to guard and make others guard the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and the laws that stem from it, and to perform loyally and patriotically the office of President of the Republic that the people have conferred upon me,” expressed Sheinbaum while taking the oath.
The outgoing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, handed the presidential sash to Ifigenia Martínez, president of the Chamber of Deputies, who in turn placed it on Sheinbaum, marking the moment when Mexico, after more than 200 years of being a republic, has a woman in charge for the first time.
The event was attended by almost twenty international leaders, including the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro; Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Chile, Gabriel Boric; Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and Honduras, Xiomara Castro. Representatives of multilateral organizations and prominent figures such as the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, and the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, also attended.
After her swearing-in, Sheinbaum headed to the National Palace to share lunch with the present leaders. Subsequently, in a symbolic act, she will receive the staff of command from the indigenous peoples at the Zócalo in Mexico City, where she will deliver her first speech as head of state before thousands of people.
Sheinbaum’s rise to power marks the beginning of a new era in Mexican politics, celebrated with enthusiasm by her supporters.