1. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was born on 24 June 1962 and is a Mexican politician, scientist, and academic who is serving as the 66th president of Mexico since 2024; she is the first woman to hold the office.
89 Facts About Claudia Sheinbaum
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Claudia Sheinbaum has co-authored over 100 articles and two books on energy, the environment, and sustainable development.
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Claudia Sheinbaum contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and, in 2018, was named one of BBC's 100 Women.
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Claudia Sheinbaum joined the Party of the Democratic Revolution in 1989.
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Claudia Sheinbaum left the PRD in 2014 to join Lopez Obrador's splinter movement, Morena, and was elected mayor of Tlalpan borough in 2015.
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Claudia Sheinbaum resigned in 2023 to run for president and won Morena's nomination over Marcelo Ebrard.
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Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was born on 24 June 1962 in Mexico City, within a secular Mexican Jewish family.
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Claudia Sheinbaum is the second child of chemist Carlos Sheinbaum Yoselevitz and biologist Annie Pardo Cemo.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's parents were actively involved in Mexican left-wing circles during the 1960s, participating in protests, workers' movements, and student uprisings.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's older brother Julio is a physicist and physical oceanography researcher at CICESE.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's younger sister Adriana is a teacher who lives in the United States and is married to film director Rodrigo Garcia Barcha.
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Claudia Sheinbaum earned an undergraduate degree in physics at UNAM in 1989, a master's degree in 1994, and a Ph.
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In 1995, Claudia Sheinbaum joined the faculty of the Institute of Engineering at UNAM.
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In 2006, Claudia Sheinbaum returned to UNAM after a period in government and began publishing articles in scientific journals.
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In 2007, Claudia Sheinbaum contributed to the "Industry" chapter of the WG3 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 4AR and, in 2013, served as a lead author for the chapter in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.
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Claudia Sheinbaum served as the secretary of the environment of the Federal District from 5 December 2000 to 15 May 2006, appointed by Head of Government of the Federal District Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
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Claudia Sheinbaum oversaw the introduction of the Metrobus, a bus rapid transit system with dedicated lanes, and the construction of the second story of Mexico City's ring road, Anillo Periferico.
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Claudia Sheinbaum campaigned on a platform focused on improving public services and public spaces, reducing corruption, and implementing social programs for women and young adults.
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Juan Guillermo Blandon Perez, the parish priest, alleged that Claudia Sheinbaum was responsible for demolishing the chapel and claimed that it was carried out without prior notification.
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Claudia Sheinbaum met with church representatives and proposed dividing the property in half to build a new chapel and a community art center.
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Claudia Sheinbaum faced criticism for not providing a complete account of the permits for the school's land use, construction, and operation.
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On 5 December 2017, Claudia Sheinbaum stepped down as mayor of Tlalpan to register her pre-candidacy.
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At her campaign launch on 1 April 2018, Claudia Sheinbaum prioritized fighting crime, stating that she would hold regular public hearings, publish reported crime statistics, and rely on the Security Council for guidance.
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Claudia Sheinbaum committed to generating 1 million jobs during her term, maintaining the universal pension for seniors, and expanding the Mexico City Metrobus system to connect the city's outskirts with the center.
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On 5 December 2018, Claudia Sheinbaum was inaugurated as Mexico City's head of government.
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Claudia Sheinbaum became the first elected female head of government and the first to come from a Jewish background.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's administration was characterized by a strong relationship with the federal government and President Lopez Obrador.
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Claudia Sheinbaum recommended Marti Batres as substitute head of government, a choice later ratified by the Congress of Mexico City.
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Claudia Sheinbaum implemented a security strategy based on four pillars: addressing the root causes of violence through education and community programs; enhancing the quality and quantity of the police force; strengthening intelligence and investigative capabilities; and improving coordination among law enforcement agencies.
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In 2019, Claudia Sheinbaum declared a gender violence alert in response to rising public concern.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's administration launched a citywide hotline and built over 700 kilometers of "safe corridors" to improve security for women in public spaces.
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Claudia Sheinbaum promoted a voluntary gun buyback program, allowing residents to anonymously exchange firearms for cash.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's government targeted criminal groups including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and La Union Tepito, resulting in the arrest of multiple key figures.
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Claudia Sheinbaum oversaw the gradual deployment of the National Guard in Mexico City.
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Claudia Sheinbaum introduced the Cablebus cable car system, with Lines 1 and 2 opening in 2021, and began construction on Line 3 the same year.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's administration expanded the Metrobus network by 33 kilometers, electrified Line 3, and added low-emission buses to the city's Red de Transporte de Pasajeros.
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Claudia Sheinbaum continued the extension of Mexico City Metro Line 12 to Observatorio station and launched a MX$37 billion modernization of Metro Line 1 in 2022, including new trains, track replacements, and an upgraded control system.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's administration started Observatorio's redevelopment into a major terminal connecting Lines 1,12, and the El Insurgente commuter rail line.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's government introduced a unified mobility card for all public transit systems and expanded cycling infrastructure with 200 kilometers of bike lanes and 2,500 new Ecobici bikes.
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Claudia Sheinbaum announced the construction of vehicular bridges to improve road connectivity.
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Claudia Sheinbaum faced criticism for the management of the budget allocated to public transportation.
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In 2019, Claudia Sheinbaum implemented a gender-neutral uniform policy for students in state-run schools, allowing them to wear uniforms of their choice regardless of gender.
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In 2021, Claudia Sheinbaum removed a statue of Christopher Columbus from Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma as part of what she called a "decolonization" exercise.
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Shortly after the first COVID-19 case in Mexico City was confirmed on 28 February 2020, Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the city, emphasizing that although the risk was low, the population needed to stay informed through official sources.
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Claudia Sheinbaum advised those with symptoms to text a hotline for guidance instead of going to hospitals to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system.
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Lopez Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum had differing views on using face masks: Claudia Sheinbaum encouraged Mexico City residents to wear face masks, while Lopez Obrador frequently did not wear them in public.
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Claudia Sheinbaum was nominated by the City Mayors Foundation for the World Mayor Prize in 2021 in North America for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico.
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On 28 June 2021, Claudia Sheinbaum dismissed the general director of the Mexico City Metro, Florencia Serrania Soto.
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Alejo Sanchez Cano, editor of the Mexico City daily newspaper, opined that Claudia Sheinbaum's responsibility was unavoidable, stating that after having been in office for two and a half years, she failed to maintain the Metro system.
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On 12 June 2023, Claudia Sheinbaum announced that she would resign as head of government of Mexico City on 16 June to contend in the internal selection process to select a de facto presidential candidate for Juntos Hacemos Historia, a coalition encompassing Morena, the Labor Party, and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico.
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On 19 November 2023, Claudia Sheinbaum registered as the sole precandidate of Sigamos Haciendo Historia, the successor coalition to Juntos Hacemos Historia.
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Claudia Sheinbaum formally registered her candidacy at the National Electoral Institute on 18 February 2024.
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On 1 March 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum launched her campaign at the Zocalo, outlining her proposals and emphasizing her commitment to continuing President Lopez Obrador's Fourth Transformation policies.
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Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to pass "Plan C", a package of eighteen constitutional amendments proposed by Lopez Obrador earlier that year, which include increasing the minimum wage above inflation, elevating social programs to constitutional law, and electing judiciary members by popular vote.
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Claudia Sheinbaum proposed replicating her Mexico City security strategy nationwide, introducing a constitutional amendment to prevent reelection for any popularly elected position, and implementing new social programs for students from preschool to secondary education and women aged 60 to 64.
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Polls consistently indicated that Claudia Sheinbaum held a substantial lead over her main opponent, Xochitl Galvez.
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The election took place on 2 June 2024, with Claudia Sheinbaum being projected the winner by the INE's quick count at 11:50 CST, making her the virtual president-elect.
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Claudia Sheinbaum received the highest number of votes ever recorded for a candidate in Mexican history, carried 31 out of 32 states, and achieved the highest vote percentage since free and fair elections began in Mexico.
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Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to continue Lopez Obrador's morning press conferences, known as mananeras, at 7:00 AM CST.
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Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as president on 1 October 2024, becoming the first woman, as well as the first person of predominantly Jewish heritage, to hold the office.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's inauguration was attended by 105 representatives from various countries, including 16 heads of state and 23 delegates from international organizations.
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King Felipe VI of Spain was controversially not invited, with Claudia Sheinbaum citing his failure to respond to Lopez Obrador's 2019 letter requesting an apology for the abuses committed during the Spanish conquest.
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Claudia Sheinbaum continued her predecessor's practice of holding "", regular press briefings in the morning.
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On 2 October 2024, the anniversary of the Tlatelolco massacre, Claudia Sheinbaum issued a decree acknowledging the State's responsibility for the killings.
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Claudia Sheinbaum expanded the SSCP's powers, publishing a bill that enabled greater collaboration with the Attorney General's Office and improving intelligence gathering across all levels of government.
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Claudia Sheinbaum's administration adopted a more hard-handed approach toward organized crime, with the SSCP going after organized crime's logisitcal networks and "violence generators", marking a departure from Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's "hugs, not bullets" strategy.
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Claudia Sheinbaum defended operations with lopsided death tolls, such as a shootout where the military remained unharmed while killing 19 cartel members, as acts of self-defense.
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On 30 October 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum published a constitutional amendment reestablishing the Federal Electricity Commission and Pemex as public entities, effectively reversing much of the 2013 energy reform.
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Amidst the release of a Supreme Court draft opinion proposing to partially overturn the judicial reform bill passed by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in his final weeks as president, Claudia Sheinbaum asserted that the judicial branch lacked authority over constitutional amendments.
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On 20 December 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum signed a bill that dissolved autonomous bodies overseeing telecommunications, economic competition, and transparency, as part of an effort to simplify government functions.
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Claudia Sheinbaum committed to further expanding Mexico's passenger rail network, publishing a constitutional amendment that restored the Mexican State's authority to use railway lines for passenger transport services.
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In 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum announced a MX$33 billion investment to modernize six ports across Mexico: Ensenada, Baja California; Manzanillo, Colima; Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan; Acapulco, Guerrero; Veracruz, Veracruz; and Progreso, Yucatan.
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Claudia Sheinbaum has continued her predecessor's practice of employing SEDENA's Military Engineers Corps.
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Claudia Sheinbaum renamed the Benito Juarez Scholarship to the Rita Cetina Gutierrez Universal Scholarship, expanding it to provide bimonthly financial aid to all families with children enrolled in the public basic educational system.
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On 2 December 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum elevated several social programs to constitutional law.
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On 22 October 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum announced the fusion of SEGALMEX and DICONSA into Food for Wellbeing to support small local producers, offer quality products at affordable prices, and contribute to food self-sufficiency.
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In November 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum took her first trip abroad as president to attend the G20 summit.
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Claudia Sheinbaum held bilateral meetings with US president Joe Biden, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, Chinese president Xi Jinping, French president Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of MIKTA member states.
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In October 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum's administration resumed diplomatic relations with the US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, which had been suspended by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador due to US criticism of Mexico's judicial reforms.
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In February 2025, following Trump's executive order implementing the tariffs, both leaders reached an agreement to suspend the tariffs for one month, with Claudia Sheinbaum committing to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to the border and Trump pledging to take action against weapons trafficking to Mexico.
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Claudia Sheinbaum is a self-described feminist, aligning her beliefs and actions with the principles of gender equality and women's rights.
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Claudia Sheinbaum has been an outspoken critic of the Spanish royal family and its ties to Spanish colonialism in Mexico; she has called for a formal apology and reparations from King Felipe VI, and did not invite him to her inauguration.
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Claudia Sheinbaum has criticized the neoliberal economic policies of past presidents of Mexico, arguing that they have contributed to inequality in the country.
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Claudia Sheinbaum has promised to expand welfare under her presidency and intends to continue programs started by Lopez Obrador, such as universal pension.
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Claudia Sheinbaum has a background in environmental policy, having served as Minister of the Environment for Mexico City and worked on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which would go on to win the panel a Nobel Peace Prize.
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Claudia Sheinbaum has both spoken in favor of clean energy and support of oil, praising PEMEX.
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In 1986, Claudia Sheinbaum met Carlos Imaz Gispert, who later became a prominent political figure in the PRD during his tenure at Stanford University.
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In November 2023, Claudia Sheinbaum announced her marriage to Tarriba via social media.
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Claudia Sheinbaum is the author of over 100 articles and two books on energy, the environment, and sustainable development.