Claudia Sheinbaum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claudia Sheinbaum
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Sheinbaum in 2024
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| 66th President of Mexico | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Andrés Manuel López Obrador |
| Head of Government of Mexico City | |
| In office 5 December 2018 – 16 June 2023 |
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| Preceded by | José Ramón Amieva |
| Succeeded by | Martí Batres |
| Mayor of Tlalpan | |
| In office 1 October 2015 – 6 December 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Héctor Hugo Hernández Rodríguez |
| Succeeded by | Fernando Hernández Palacios |
| Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City | |
| In office 5 December 2000 – 15 May 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Alejandro Encinas Rodríguez |
| Succeeded by | Eduardo Vega López |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo
24 June 1962 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Political party | Morena (since 2014) |
| Other political affiliations |
Party of the Democratic Revolution (1989–2014) |
| Spouses |
Carlos Ímaz Gispert
(m. 1987; div. 2016)Jesús María Tarriba
(m. 2023) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents | Carlos Sheinbaum Yoselevitz (father) Annie Pardo Cemo (mother) |
| Residence | National Palace |
| Education | |
| Awards |
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| Signature |  |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Energy conservation, energy policy, sustainable development |
| Institutions | National Autonomous University of Mexico |
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (born 24 June 1962) is a Mexican politician, scientist, and academic who is serving as the 66th president of Mexico since 1 October 2024, the first woman to hold the office. She previously served as Head of Government of Mexico City from 2018 to 2023.
A scientist by profession, Sheinbaum received her Doctor of Philosophy in energy engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She has authored over 100 articles and two books on energy, the environment, and sustainable development. She contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and, in 2018, was named one of BBC's 100 Women.
In 1989, Sheinbaum joined the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). From 2000 to 2006, Sheinbaum served as secretary of the environment in Mexico City under Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who was then head of government. In 2014, she left the PRD and joined López Obrador's splinter movement, Morena. She was mayor of the Tlalpan borough from 2015 to 2017. She was elected head of government of Mexico City in the 2018 election, where she ran a campaign that emphasized curbing crime and enforcing zoning laws.
In June 2023, Sheinbaum resigned from her position as head of the city government to seek Morena's presidential nomination in the 2024 election. In September 2023, she secured the party's nomination over her closest opponent, former foreign secretary Marcelo Ebrard. In June 2024, Sheinbaum won the general election in a landslide against the National Action Party (PAN) candidate Xóchitl Gálvez. She assumed office on 1 October 2024.
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Early life and family
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was born on 24 June 1962, in Mexico City, within a secular Mexican Jewish family. She is the second child of the marriage between chemist Carlos Sheinbaum Yoselevitz and biologist Annie Pardo Cemo.
Carlos Sheinbaum was of Ashkenazi Litvak descent, with his father emigrating from Lithuania in 1928. His father was a jewelry merchant and was a member of the Mexican Communist Party. Annie Pardo is from a family of assimilated Bulgarian Jews of Sephardic origin (Jews with a heritage tracing back to 15th century Spain) who arrived in Mexico in 1942, fleeing from the persecution of Jews during World War II. Pardo became the first Sephardic woman in the Mexican academic world.
Claudia's parents were actively involved in Mexican left-wing circles during the 1960s, participating in protests, workers' movements, and student uprisings.
Sheinbaum has two siblings. Her older brother, Julio, is a physicist and physical oceanography researcher at CICESE. Her younger sister, Adriana, is a teacher who lives in the United States and is married to director Rodrigo García Barcha.
Academic career
Sheinbaum earned an undergraduate degree in physics at UNAM in 1989, a master's degree in 1994, and a Ph.D. in energy engineering in 1995.
Sheinbaum completed the work for her Ph.D. thesis between 1991 and 1994 at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. While working for the laboratory, she analyzed energy use in the Mexican transportation sector and published studies on the trends in Mexican building energy use.
In 1995, she joined the faculty of the Institute of Engineering at UNAM. In 1999, she received the prize for being the best UNAM young researcher in engineering and technological innovation.
In 2006, Sheinbaum returned to UNAM after a period in government and began publishing articles in scientific journals.
In 2007, she contributed to the "Industry" chapter of the WG3 (Mitigation) report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 4AR and, in 2013, a lead author for the chapter in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.
Early political career
Sheinbaum has been reported as an active supporter of Colombian guerrilla movement M19 during her youth.
During her time as a student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Sheinbaum was a member of the Consejo Estudiantil Universitario ("University Student Council"), a group of students that would become the founding youth movement of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).
Sheinbaum served as the Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City from 5 December 2000, having been appointed on 20 November 2000 to the cabinet of the Head of Government of Mexico City, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. During her term, which concluded in May 2006, she was responsible for the construction of an electronic vehicle-registration center for Mexico City. She also oversaw the introduction of the Metrobús, a bus rapid transit system with dedicated lanes, and the construction of the second story of the Anillo Periférico, Mexico City's ring road.
López Obrador included Sheinbaum in his proposed cabinet for the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources as part of his campaign for the 2012 presidential election. In 2014, she joined López Obrador's splinter movement, which broke away from the mainstream left-wing party, the Party of the Democratic Revolution.
2018 campaign for the Head of Government of Mexico City
In August 2017, Sheinbaum participated in a poll by the National Regeneration Movement to determine the party's candidate for the Head of Government of Mexico City. The other contenders were Martí Batres, Mario Delgado, and Ricardo Monreal. Sheinbaum secured first place with 15.9% of the vote, beating her closest opponent, Batres, by 5.8 points. On 5 December 2017, Sheinbaum stepped down as mayor of Tlalpan to register her pre-candidacy.
At her campaign launch on 1 April 2018, Sheinbaum prioritized fighting crime, stating that she would hold regular public hearings, publish reported crime statistics, and rely on the Security Council for guidance. She committed to generating 1 million jobs during her term, maintaining the universal pension for seniors, and expanding the Mexico City Metrobús system to connect the city's outskirts with the center.
During the campaign period, Sheinbaum was accused by members of Por México al Frente of being culpable for the collapse of the Colegio Enrique Rébsamen, a private school in Tlalpan, during the 2017 Puebla earthquake.
On 1 July 2018, Sheinbaum was elected to a six-year term as the Head of Government of Mexico City with 47.08% of the vote, defeating six other candidates.
Head of Government of Mexico City (2018–2023)
On 1 July 2018, Sheinbaum was elected to a six-year term as the Head of Government of Mexico City with 47.08% of the vote, defeating six other candidates. She was inaugurated on 5 December 2018. She became the first female head of government and the first to come from a Jewish background.
Education
As part of her administration's education policy, the Mi Beca para Empezar ("My Scholarship to Start") scholarship program was created for 1.2 million students from preschool to secondary education and later elevated to constitutional law in Mexico City. The Rosario Castellanos Institute of Higher Studies and the University of Health were created. In addition, community centers called pilares ("pillars") were established in marginalized neighborhoods and towns to promote arts, sports, education, and cultural activities.
Environment
In June 2019, Sheinbaum announced a new six-year environmental plan. It includes reducing air pollution by 30%, planting 15 million trees, banning single-use plastics and promoting recycling, building a new waste separation plant, providing water service to every home, constructing 100 kilometers of corridors for the exclusive use of trolleybus lines and the Mexico City Metrobús system, and constructing and installing solar water heaters and solar panels.
Public transport
In September 2019, Sheinbaum announced a 40 billion peso (US$2 billion) investment to modernize the Mexico City Metro over the next five years, including modernization, re-strengthening, new trains, improving stations, stairways, train control and automation, user information, and payment systems. The construction of 200 kilometers of bicycle paths, six bicycle stations, 2,500 new bicycles for the Ecobici system, subsidies for public transportation, and the introduction of the Cablebús cable car system in the Iztapalapa borough have aimed to alleviate traffic congestion and improve transit.
Social issues
In 2019, Sheinbaum implemented a gender-neutral uniform policy for students in state-run schools, allowing them to wear uniforms of their choice regardless of gender. In 2021, Sheinbaum removed a statue of Christopher Columbus from Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma as part of what she referred to as a "decolonization" exercise.
2024 presidential campaign
Nomination
On 12 June 2023, Sheinbaum announced that she would resign as head of government of Mexico City on 16 June in order 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.
The coalition's internal process consisted of five polls conducted from 28 August to 4 September. On 6 September, Sheinbaum was declared the winner, securing 39.38% of the vote and defeating her closest opponent, former foreign secretary Marcelo Ebrard, by around 13 points. On 19 November 2023, Sheinbaum registered as the sole precandidate of Sigamos Haciendo Historia, the successor coalition to Juntos Hacemos Historia. Sheinbaum formally registered her candidacy at the National Electoral Institute (INE) on 18 February 2024.
General election
On 1 March 2024, Sheinbaum launched her campaign at the Zócalo, outlining her proposals and emphasizing her commitment to continuing President López Obrador's Fourth Transformation policies. She pledged to passing "Plan C", a package of eighteen constitutional reforms proposed by López Obrador earlier that year, which include increasing the minimum wage above inflation, elevating social programs to constitutional law, and electing members of the judiciary by popular vote. She also 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.
During debates and the campaign, Sheinbaum was accused by Xóchitl Gálvez, the candidate from the opposition coalition Fuerza y Corazón por México, of being culpable of the collapse of the Colegio Rébsamen during the 2017 Puebla earthquake, the Mexico City Metro overpass collapse, and the excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico City.
Polls consistently indicated that Sheinbaum held a substantial lead over her main opponent, Xóchitl Gálvez. During the three presidential debates, many commentators praised her calm demeanor during provocations from Gálvez.
The election took place on 2 June 2024, with Sheinbaum being projected the winner by the INE's quick count at 11:50 CST, making her the virtual president-elect. On 6 June, final vote counts confirmed that Sheinbaum won in a 32-point landslide. She 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 1982.
Presidency (2024–present)
Inauguration
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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. The presidential sash was handed to her by Ifigenia Martínez, the president of the Congress of the Union and a prominent figure for the Mexican left. In her address to Congress, Sheinbaum thanked her predecessor, highlighted her historic election as the first woman to the presidency, pledged responsible fiscal policies, and reassured foreign investors.
Her inauguration was attended by 105 representatives from various countries, including 16 heads of state and 23 delegates from international organizations. Notable attendees included Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, former German President Christian Wulff, and US First Lady Jill Biden. King Felipe VI of Spain was controversially not invited, with Sheinbaum citing his failure to respond to López Obrador's 2019 letter requesting an apology for the abuses committed during the Spanish conquest. This prompted a boycott by the Spanish government.
Domestic policy
Sheinbaum continued her predecessor's practice of holding "mañaneras", regular press briefings in the morning.
On 2 October 2024, the anniversary of the Tlatelolco massacre, Sheinbaum issued a decree acknowledging the State's responsibility for the killings. The decree included a public apology, which was delivered by Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez.
Energy
On 30 October 2024, Sheinbaum published a constitutional amendment reestablishing the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and Pemex as public entities, effectively reversing much of the 2013 energy reform. The amendment mandates that the CFE maintain a 54% share of electricity generation, with the remaining 46% managed by private companies under regulated conditions to prioritize public needs over profit.
Government reform
Amidst the release of a Supreme Court draft opinion proposing to partially overturn the judicial reform bill passed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador in his final weeks as president, Sheinbaum asserted that the judicial branch lacked authority over constitutional amendments. In response, on 31 October 2024, she published a bill enshrining constitutional supremacy, limiting legal challenges to constitutional amendments strictly to procedural grounds.
On 20 December 2024, Sheinbaum signed a bill that dissolved autonomous bodies overseeing telecommunications, economic competition, and transparency, as part of an effort to simplify government functions. This followed an earlier bill she signed that restructured several cabinet positions to absorb the responsibilities of these entities. Among these changes, the Secretariat of the Civil Service was transformed into the Secretariat of Anticorruption and Good Governance, taking over the duties and authority of the National Institute of Transparency for Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI). Three new cabinet positions were also added: the Secretariat of Women (replacing the National Institute for Women), the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (replacing CONAHCYT), and the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency.
Infrastructure and passenger rail
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. In late 2024, she inaugurated the final sections of the Tren Maya and announced plans to integrate freight services into the train's operations while extending the network toward Progreso, Yucatán. She also outlined her goal to construct approximately 3,000 kilometers of railroad, comprising the Mexico–Pachuca, Mexico–Nuevo Laredo, and Mexico–Nogales lines, to be completed in four phases.
In 2024, Sheinbaum announced a MX$33 billion investment to modernize six ports across Mexico: Ensenada, Baja California; Manzanillo, Colima; Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán; Acapulco, Guerrero; Veracruz, Veracruz; and Progreso, Yucatán.
Sheinbaum has continued her predecessor's practice of employing SEDENA's Military Engineers Corps. to build government infrastructure projects.
Welfare
During the early months of her tenure, Sheinbaum introduced the Women's Wellbeing Pension (Pensión Mujeres Bienestar), providing bimonthly financial assistance to senior women aged 60 to 64, and launched the House to House Health (Salud Casa a Casa) program, offering medical care to the elderly and people with disabilities. She also renamed the Benito Juárez Scholarship (Beca Benito Juárez) to the Rita Cetina Gutiérrez Universal Scholarship (Beca Universal Rita Cetina Gutiérrez), expanding it to provide bimonthly financial aid to all families with children enrolled in the public basic educational system. On 2 December 2024, Sheinbaum elevated several social programs to constitutional law.
On 22 October 2024, Sheinbaum announced the fusion of SEGALMEX and DICONSA into Food for Wellbeing (Alimentación para el Bienestar) to support small local producers, offer quality products at affordable prices, and contribute to food self-sufficiency. With the fusion, the over 24,500 DICONSA stores, present in 90% of the municipalities of the country, will be reorganized, rehabilitated, and rebranded to Wellbeing Stores to Generate Happiness (Tiendas del Bienestar para Generar Felicidad).
Foreign policy
In November 2024, Sheinbaum took her first trip abroad as president to attend the G20 summit. At the summit, she proposed allocating 1% of global military spending to reforestation efforts and advocated for expanding the United Nations Security Council to include seats for Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and small island nations. Sheinbaum also held bilateral meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of MIKTA member states.
Israel–Palestine conflict
On 12 October 2024, Sheinbaum expressed support for the two-state solution in the ongoing Israel–Palestine conflict, emphasising that recognising both Israel and Palestine was necessary for achieving peace in the Middle East. She also condemned the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, the subsequent violence against Gaza, and other acts of aggression in the region. Like her predecessor, Sheinbaum maintained a stance of neutrality, calling for a more proactive role from the United Nations.
United States
In October 2024, diplomatic relations with the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, resumed, which had been suspended due to U.S. criticism of Mexico's judicial reforms. Sheinbaum outlined new diplomatic protocols requiring Salazar to communicate with the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs to engage with the federal government, noting that previously, the ambassador had spoken directly with members of the Mexican cabinet.
On 6 November 2024, Sheinbaum congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the 2024 United States presidential election. Following the announcement of a 25% tariff on Mexican imports, she sent Trump a letter warning that "one tariff will follow another in response and so on, until we put our common businesses at risk." She also highlighted the continued flow of firearms from the United States to criminal groups in Mexico.
Political views
Social issues
Sheinbaum has openly identified herself as a feminist, aligning her beliefs and actions with the principles of gender equality and women's rights.
Economy
Sheinbaum has criticized the neoliberal economic policies of past presidents of Mexico, arguing that they have contributed to inequality in the country. She has promised to expand welfare under her presidency and intends to continue programs started by López Obrador, such as universal pension.
Environment
Sheinbaum has a background in environmental policy, having served as Minister of the Environment for Mexico City and worked on the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which would go on to win a Nobel Prize. In her tenure as Minister of the Environment, she saw a marked reduction in air pollution and created community ecological reserves. She has both spoken in favor of clean energy and in support of oil, having praised PEMEX (the nation's state-owned oil company).
Personal life
In 1986, Sheinbaum met Carlos Ímaz Gispert, who later became a prominent political figure in the PRD during his tenure at Stanford University. They married in 1987 and divorced in 2016. They have a daughter, Mariana Ímaz Sheinbaum, born in 1988. Through the marriage, Sheinbaum became the stepmother to Ímaz's son from a previous marriage, Rodrigo Ímaz, who she raised.
In 2016, she began dating Jesús María Tarriba Unger, a financial risk analyst for the Bank of Mexico, who she had known as a university student. In November 2023, Sheinbaum announced her marriage to Tarriba via social media. The two married in a small civil ceremony.
Awards and honours
Sheinbaum featured in the Forbes 2024 list of World's 100 most powerful women and was ranked 4th.
National honour
Mexico:
Grand Master and Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (1 October 2024).
See also
In Spanish: Claudia Sheinbaum para niños
