A world-renowned scientist, Sheinbaum, 60, shares the leftist ideals of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. In an interview with the Associated Press, Sheinbaum, like López Obrador, accused the neoliberal economic policies of former presidents of exacerbating inequality.
But the leaders would differ on their approach.
López Obrador has sought to create jobs regardless of their environmental consequences, devoting resources to supporting Mexico’s state oil company before backing a few projects from US renewable energy companies. By contrast, Sheinbaum has a doctorate in engineering, served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that won a shared Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and is committed to engaging Mexico in sustainability. .
She insists on her belief in all scientific discoveries, in fields ranging from the environment to medicine.
“I believe in science,” she said. “I believe in technology for a better life. »
López Obrador inaugurated a massive new oil refinery in his home state of Tabasco last year, saying his government had decided to ignore “the siren calls … that the age of oil is over”.
Despite the inauguration of the refinery, it has not started its activities.
At the same time, López Obrador passed laws placing private gas and renewable energy facilities last in terms of purchasing electricity, behind government-owned factories that often burn dirty fuel oil. More recently, he applauded a new government-run solar facility in northern Mexico and celebrated Tesla’s decision to build a car manufacturing plant near Monterrey, moves seen as fueling his interests to fuel the growth of jobs and satisfying American complaints about the lack of free trade.
Sheinbaum said his belief in renewable energy was fundamental.
“I think we need to start developing more renewable energy and move forward with electrifying cars,” Sheinbaum said. “In the future, the majority of energy must be linked to renewable energies. »
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheinbaum started wearing a protective mask, closed bars and nightclubs, then cut their hours and pushed for more COVID-19 testing. While López Obrador downplayed the threat and talked about being protected by amulets, Sheinbaum made no direct criticism of the president.
Now Sheinbaum is locked in what appears to be a three-way battle for the nomination of their party, Morena, which has an unrivaled political machine. If successful, one would expect it to easily overcome the legacy of opposition parties struggling to present a credible alternative. Morena and his allies govern 22 of the 32 states and the state apparatus is already working in the unofficial pre-election campaign.
The other candidates for the Morena party nomination are Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Interior Secretary Adán Augusto. Ebrard was seen as the most likely successor at the start of López Obrador’s tenure in late 2018, but in a poll conducted by pollster Enkoll between February 4 and 7, Sheinbaum held an 18-point lead over Ebrard among 1,223 people polled. asked who they preferred. the candidate of the Morena party. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 2.83%.
Sheinbaum received relatively high marks for his management of one of the greatest cities in the world. Mexico City has over 9 million people and the surrounding metropolitan area brings the total to almost 25 million. The capital has been governed by a leftist since residents began electing their mayors in 1997, and it has the most progressive policies in the country.
Sheinbaum has been criticized for her management of the capital’s sprawling subways. In May 2021, an elevated section collapsedprovoking 26 deaths and injuring nearly 100 people
In January, it decided to deploy more than 6,000 National Guard troops to the system following the collision of two trains which left one dead and dozens injured. Subway workers said spare parts and maintenance were needed, not troops, but Sheinbaum suggested sabotage might be to blame.
Sheinbaum used to spend weekends making public appearances in other states and was away when this accident happened. She interrupted her trip after this incident. Asked about the subway’s problems, the mayor highlighted the significant capital investments made during her tenure and said additional funds would come based on recommendations from a panel of experts.
“None of the three (candidates) has the charisma of the president,” said Ivonne Acuña Murillo, a political scientist at the Ibero-American University. “López Obrador has built a closeness with people over decades that they don’t have time to replicate. »
López Obrador has spent decades in campaign mode and seemed happiest wading through a crowd.
“She has a very different style of government from AMLO, much more evidence-based,” said Marcela Bravo Araujo, a political scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, using the initials of López Obrador.
Still, Sheinbaum echoed López Obrador on recent controversial reforms that will slash the resources of Mexico’s electoral authority, which has been hailed for holding relatively clean elections since the end of seven decades of one-party rule.
Sheinbaum thinks Mexico can achieve the same or even better democracy without “all those resources that pay lots and lots and lots of people that the electoral system probably doesn’t need.”
She describes Mexico’s relationship with the United States, which has at times been strained under López Obrador over issues such as immigration, drug trafficking and security, in entirely commercial terms. She said she sees a great opportunity in the free trade agreement that Mexico has with the United States and Canada, but the challenge is to ensure that foreign investment “can bring wealth to the Mexican people.
As for her political platform, she says she wants to continue to target poverty.
“For me, being left has to do with it, ensuring minimum rights for all residents,” Sheinbaum said, referring to rights to education, health, housing, decent work and wages. . “In this sense, it reduces great inequalities, reduces poverty by strengthening great rights and at the same time strengthens democracy. »
Sheinbaum’s Jewish grandparents emigrated from Lithuania and Bulgaria, but she grew up practicing no religion in predominantly Catholic Mexico.
The official campaign hasn’t officially started, but one topic that hasn’t become an issue is gender. Nine of Mexico’s 32 states have female governors. And while gender-based violence remains a national problem, along with everyday sexism, Sheinbaum says her gender has no negative impact on her aspirations today.
“Probably 10 years ago it was a disability, now it’s something positive,” she said.
