Who is Claudia Sheinbaum and What is Her Stance on Cuba as Mexico's New President?

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, 61, hailing from Mexico City, has become the first female president of Mexico in a landmark election characterized by high voter turnout and a resounding victory for the ruling party, Morena. A former university activist, Sheinbaum holds a PhD in Physics and served as the head of government for the capital before her presidential bid. She secured between 58.6% and 60.7% of the votes cast.

Although these figures are preliminary, the rapid count shows that Sheinbaum's results surpass the 53% achieved by her predecessor and political mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), in 2018. The high voter turnout reflects a mobilized electorate deeply polarized by the country's political landscape. Sheinbaum, following in the footsteps of the populist López Obrador, leveraged the outgoing president's support, despite lacking the same level of political charisma.

While the election of the first female president in 200 years of independence has generated much excitement, it's crucial to examine the context and implications of this outcome. Sheinbaum's victory highlights the absence of viable alternatives and the weakness of the opposition, represented by Xóchitl Gálvez, who garnered between 26% and 28% of the votes.

Despite Morena's initial novelty in Mexican politics, some analysts now view AMLO's tenure and Sheinbaum's "continuity" as a return to the times of absolute control reminiscent of the "priísmo" era. The election, held amid a backdrop of violence (with 37 candidates assassinated during the campaign), underscores the severe security issues plaguing the country, exacerbated by extensive territorial control by mafias and drug cartels.

Furthermore, the centralization of power within Morena raises concerns about the balance of power and the future of democracy in Mexico. Sheinbaum has vowed to govern for all citizens, but her ability to tackle economic and security challenges without resorting to populism and independent of López Obrador's legacy remains to be seen. The new president will need to demonstrate that she can implement effective and sustainable policies rather than merely echoing her predecessor's rhetoric.

Foreign investment and remittances have increased in Mexico, yet inequality and violence continue to pose significant barriers to development. Sheinbaum will have to navigate these realities while trying to consolidate her leadership and avoid being perceived as merely a continuation of López Obrador's administration.

What is Mexico's New President's Stance on Cuba?

In the final televised debate among the presidential candidates, focused on foreign policy issues, Sheinbaum declared that "submission in foreign policy is over" and referenced past episodes involving PAN administrations to illustrate AMLO's "rescue" of Mexican sovereignty.

She cited the infamous phrase that Vicente Fox told dictator Fidel Castro in a private conversation before the International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey on March 22, 2002, according to Telediario. "Eat and go," Fox suggested in a call that Fidel Castro leaked, exposing the Mexican president's concern about avoiding a problematic encounter between the dictator and U.S. President George W. Bush.

"AMLO's foreign policy is a source of pride. We received vaccines during the pandemic," Sheinbaum stated during the debate. She was the one, as the governor of Mexico City, who denied allegations of fraud in hiring 585 Cuban doctors without academic qualifications to address the COVID-19 emergency in late 2020.

"There is absolutely nothing to hide. Various health professionals came to Mexico to support us, they were here for two periods, mainly in Mexico City, but also in other regions, and we can provide all the information with pleasure. I believe the Ministry of Health has already done so, detailing how many doctors, nurses, and specialists joined to save lives in our city," Sheinbaum said in her capacity as the head of Mexico City's government.

Accusing the right of looking "where there is absolutely nothing," to show "some issue regarding the solidarity we received from Cuban doctors," Sheinbaum acknowledged that her government paid for that solidarity. "Of course, they were paid; this solidarity was not free. The doctors were paid, just as Mexican doctors were paid, and it was a completely official agreement," the official affirmed.

Under AMLO's shadow, the election winner and future president of Mexico has seen the ties between the Mexican National Palace and the Cuban regime's Palace of the Revolution grow stronger. The hiring of doctors, the purchase of Cuban-developed vaccines, agreements on migration issues, statements in favor of lifting the U.S. embargo, and the supply of oil at preferential prices have shaped the political alignment between AMLO and the Cuban regime.

During this period of rapprochement, Mexico became the second-largest supplier of crude to Cuba, behind Venezuela. The United States has demanded clarity from its Mexican partners regarding Havana's payments for shipments that López Obrador described as donations, contrary to explanations provided by the president of PEMEX (the state-owned company Petróleos de México).

"We must strengthen our relationship with the United States and Canada; we have a Free Trade Agreement, and today we are the main trading partners with the United States. There are already high-level dialogues on economic, migration, and security matters, and we will maintain these dialogues," Sheinbaum noted during the debate before the elections.

Time will tell whether Mexico's first female president will maintain the special relationship built with Havana by her predecessor or surprise everyone by distancing herself from a regime that denies Cubans their rights and freedoms, including the freedom to elect their leaders democratically.