By Ellen Mass
In 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum was popularly elected President of Mexico, becoming the first woman to hold the office. By 2026, she had been recognized internationally — named among the world’s most popular leaders by Forbes and one of the most stylish woman in 2025 by The New York Times. Sheinbaum attributed both distinctions not to personal acclaim, but to Mexico’s Indigenous artisan craftspersons, and to the broader social commitment of the Mexican people striving for equality and economic justice. Her approval rating continues to be in the 80% range with widespread global approval for her stance and those of her predecessor AMLO, both against military border intrusion and unequal trade relations that have characterized US-Mexican relations since the Mexican American war.
Internationally, Sheinbaum has defended the dignity of migrants, praising immigrants who support families across borders implementing reintegration programs for repatriated migrants with financial assistance and social services to ease their return. As a result, thousands have voluntarily returned to Mexico as victims of US anti-immigrant expulsion campaigns throughout the US.
Advancing Women’s Rights
Since taking office, Sheinbaum has elevated violence against women to a national priority. Her “Peace and Justice Plan” mobilizes federal agencies, the National Guard, and civil society to significantly reduce gender-based violence. Some states have seen a 40% reduction. Protections rooted in the National Institute for Women (NIW) are now strengthened constitutionally under updated federal law addressing domestic abuse, stalking, assault, coercion, and public harassment. Mexican Women in leadership are highly supported. There are 13 women governors in Mexico out of 32 states.
The initiative coordinates across the National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence Against Women and the National Institute of Health, embedding prevention into public health, law enforcement, and community systems. Between 2019 and 2024, hundreds of millions of pesos were directed toward equality programs and anti-violence initiatives, reflecting a sustained national commitment
In addition, Sheinbaum fulfilled a major campaign promise through the Pensión para el Bienestar de las Mujeres, a pension program for women aged 60–65 recognizing unpaid housework and childcare, and informal labor. Beginning in 2026, eligible women receive 3,000 pesos bimonthly in addition to universal pension benefits. The program represents a multi-billion-peso investment and is distributed via state-issued Bienestar bank cards. There are over 3,000 Bienestar banks in Mexico that perform social service distributions. They also serve as transfer of remittences from US to Mexico. Her administration has enacted these significant popular benefits in less than 2 years:
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Raised the minimum wage by 13 percent
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Increased salaries by 12 percent with explicit pay equity guidelines
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Reduced the standard work week from 48 to 40 hours
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Expanded early retirement eligibility for women
These reforms position Mexico among the most active countries in North America on gender-focused labor reform.
Water Sovereignty and Agricultural Reform
Water policy has emerged as a flashpoint domestically and internationally. The new General Water Law (LGA) defines water as a public human right and restricts private hoarding or resale of groundwater resources. The law was introduced amid severe drought conditions affecting agricultural states and sparked protests from large landowners concerned about inheritance rights and emergency access. Tractor truck blockades against high production costs and low priced products were halted with negotiated government agreements and the LGA remains a national priority.
At the same time, Mexico navigated delicate water-sharing obligations under the 1944 treaty governing the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers. Despite drought limitations, Sheinbaum’s government released water to Texas farmers to avoid trade retaliation, illustrating her pragmatic approach to sovereignty and diplomacy.
Energy Policy and Regional Alliances
Energy reform under Sheinbaum has reinforced the central role of Pemex, Mexico’s state oil company that went through difficult privatization periods of non-production and has become more successful, but lacks needed profit rates to become fully viable as Mexico’s main energy source. Private contracts issued during earlier administrations have been stopped as the government emphasized national control over extraction, refining, and distribution under what officials call “Operación Soberanía.” It has no private investors so it is not traded on the stock market. The government’s goal, through Pemex as the main public energy source is to reduce hydrocarbon imports. It continues to rely heavily on U.S. natural gas , even as partnerships over financing, equipment, and upstream services with countries such as Brazil, Russia, Venezuela, and China bring energy exploration and cooperation throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
A controversial dimension of this strategy involves oil shipments to Cuba. Despite pressure from Washington during renewed embargo enforcement, Mexico has characterized fuel deliveries to the island as humanitarian support and expresses solidarity with the Island. Because of the US Cuba embargo, that limits life giving aid to the neighboring country, US-Mexican trade boundaries have been threatened with upcoming trade negotiations under the successor to NAFTA, the US Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Most of Mexico’s exports are sent to the US. Despite high risk to the Mexican economy, the President sent 800 tons of material aid on 2 large cargo ships to Cuba on February 8.
Security and Anti-Extortion Measures
Security policy has evolved under Sheinbaum and her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), elected in 2018. Crime statistics indicate much reduction in violent crime, and drug cartels over the past three years. (There has been a 42% reduction in intentional homicides.) Thousands of arrests have targeted cartel networks, though the large scale flow remains of U.S. firearms into Mexico.
A newly enacted General Law for the Prevention, Investigation and Punishment of Crimes Related to Extortion aims to confront one of Mexico’s most pervasive criminal practices. The Department of Safety and Security now exercises expanded investigative authority in coordination with state governors.
Because of the growing deployment of US troops to the border, the Mexican National Guard was recently placed under military command and 40 thousand were sent to borders in the north and south, reflecting a shift toward centralized security oversight, and intensified disagreements over migration and drug policy enforcement.
Indigenous Land and Constitutional Reform
Land restitution has become a defining feature of Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena Party governance. Constitutional reforms now formally recognize Indigenous autonomy and collective land rights. In Chihuahua’s Sierra northern region, of San Miguel De Allende, the Odami people recently received 3,000 hectares of returned land to become rural “Ejidos” or communal living accompanied by infrastructure investments, schools, and independent local governance structures managed primarily by women.
These initiatives extend a broader seven-year process begun under AMLO and continued by Sheinbaum and the Judicial system to embed Indigenous sovereignty within federal law.
The Interoceanic Corridor and Economic Diversification
Central to Sheinbaum’s economic strategy is the massive ports development via the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec which connects ship travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic as a rail-based cargo alternative to the Panama Canal built in part by National Guard engineering units. Stretching from Salina Cruz on the Pacific to Coatzacoalcos to the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico which greatly increases trade with Asia and Europe.
The Tren Maya, a new rapid transportation system encircles the Yucatan increasing port traffic with connections to the state of Chiapas and to Guatemala that with agreement for a 14 million acre national Maya forest protected area by Mexico, Belize and Guatemala with security features between the three.
Economists view the corridor as a diversification strategy reducing Mexico’s dependence on bilateral U.S. trade and increases economic wealth for Mexico’s national social economy.
Historical Memory and Sovereignty
Sheinbaum frequently situates contemporary policy within the long arc of U.S.–Mexico history, particularly the 1846–1848 Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, through which Mexico lost more than half its territory. Sheinbaum’s programs and presentations continually refer to combatting the return of the Monroe Doctrine and strengthening hemispheric power dynamics with Latin American unity and regional trade as public discourse during regional summits such as CELAC and debates from opponents about sovereignty.
While no formal legal action to retrieve lost territory in the US, has not been initiated by Mexico, challenges have arisen regarding the Santa Anna surrender treaty interpreted in today’s international law. These debates reflect the enduring historical weight of territorial loss in the Mexican people’s political consciousness.
A Transformative Presidency
Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency represents a synthesis of feminist leadership, social redistribution, Indigenous recognition, and assertive nationalism. Supporters view her as advancing a model of development rooted in equality and sovereignty, and enacted through “Plan Mexico” through 2030. Critics question the sustainability of expanded public spending and the geopolitical risks of challenging U.S. dominance in the hemisphere.
Under Sheinbaum, Mexico has entered a challenging chapter for North America’s future based on stake holder priorities — defined by accomplished social reform while soliciting high intensity investment by large multi-national corporations. Mexico’s renewed insistence on national sovereignty for public benefit provides hope, high expectation and anticipation of peaceful North American integration.
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Links to more information:
115th anniversary of Mexican Revolution (Entire story dramatized)
