Xóchitl Gálvez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Xóchitl Gálvez
Gálvez in 2020
Senator of the Congress of the Union National List
In office 1 September 2018 – 20 November 2023
Succeeded by	Laura Ballesteros Mancilla
Mayor of Miguel Hidalgo
In office 1 October 2015 – 15 March 2018
Preceded by	Víctor Hugo Romo de Vivar Guerra
Succeeded by	José David Rodríguez Lara
General director of National Institute of Indigenous Peoples
In office 21 May 2003 – 14 December 2006
President	Vicente Fox Quesada
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Luis H. Álvarez
Personal details
Born	Bertha Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz (1963-02-22) 22 February 1963 (age 61) Tepatepec, Hidalgo, Mexico
Political party	Independent
Children	2
Education	National Autonomous University of Mexico (BS)
Occupation	Politician

Bertha Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz (Spanish: [ˈsotʃitl]; born 22 February 1963) is a Mexican computer engineer, businesswoman and politician. From 2015 to 2018 she served as mayor of the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City. From 2018 to 2023, she served as a senator in the LXIV and LXV Legislatures of the Mexican Congress. As a senator, she caucused with the center-right National Action Party but often adhered to progressive politics on social issues such as ..., drug policies, and social spending. She completed her studies in computer engineering at UNAM's School of Engineering. In 2023, she was nominated as the candidate of the Broad Front for Mexico for the 2024 Mexican presidential election.

Early years

Gálvez was born on 22 February 1963 in the town of Tepatepec, Hidalgo to an otomí father and a mestizo mother, also of partial otomí ancestry. As a kid she sold desserts at the local market to support her education and family. She moved to Mexico City to study computer engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), first working as a telephonist and later earning an assistanship at the computing center of the School of Engineering.

She worked as a programmer and later as a systems analyst at the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI) of Mexico. She was also director of telecommunications at the World Trade Center of Mexico City.

From 2000 to 2006, she was head of the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, during the Vicente Fox administration.

In the 2010 Hidalgo state elections, she was a candidate for governor of the state for the coalition "Hidalgo unites us", made up of the National Action Party (PAN), the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), the Labor Party (PT) and Convergencia. Gálvez came in second place, with 47% of the votes in her favor.

Businesses and philanthropy

In 1992 she founded the company High Tech Services, dedicated to the development of technology projects aimed at designing intelligent buildings, energy savings, process automation, security and telecommunications. She was also founder and CEO of the OMEI company, dedicated to the operation and maintenance of intelligent infrastructures.

She won the Sé Líder Foundation award, the Zazil award in the social and humanitarian area, the recognition of "Commitment to Others" granted by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy and the "Pericles Medal", awarded by the Museo Amparo of Puebla for social merit.

In 1999, she was recognized by the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, as one of the "100 Global Leaders of the World's Future. In 2000, Business Week magazine named her one of the 25 Latin American's New Business Elite. With the profits from her companies, in 1995 she created the Porvenir Foundation, which is dedicated to combating child malnutrition and helping women in indigenous areas. In addition, the foundation runs projects to improve the quality of water her native Mezquital Valley. For this reason she was invited by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to participate at the Social Forum of Porto Alegre.

Political career

Mayor of Miguel Hidalgo

In the 2015 Federal District elections, Gálvez was the National Action Party's candidate for the Miguel Hidalgo borough mayor. She won the elections with 32% of the vote and served from 1 October 2015 to 15 March 2018.

Senator of the Republic

In the 2018 federal elections, Gálvez competed in the Senate race for Mexico City for the "Por México al Frente" coalition in conjunction with Emilio Álvarez Icaza. In addition, on the national list, she was nominated for a Senate seat by the Party of the Democratic Revolution. She failed to win the Mexico City seat but was elected to the Senate by proportional representation. From 1 September 2018 to 20 November 2023, she was a member of the LXIV and LXV legislatures of the Congress of the Union as a member of the National Action Party.

On 29 April 2021, Gálvez announced she was planning on switching from caucusing with the National Action Party to the Party of the Democratic Revolution to guarantee that the party complied with the requirement of having at least five representatives in the Senate in order to be considered a parliamentary group and be a part of the Senate Permanent Committee. Ultimately, the decision was made to allow the PRD to be part of the Committee, negating the need for a switch.

2024 presidential candidacy

In mid-2023, both Morena and the Frente Amplio por México ("Broad Front for Mexico", Va por México's successor) began processes to select the persons responsible for "coordinating" each of their respective coalitions, who will become the presidential candidate for their respective coalition once they are able to legally label them so. Although she originally sought to become Mayor of Mexico City, in late June she announced her intention to compete for the presidency in the 2024 general election. She quickly become a favorite in opinion polls amongst opposition candidates, leading to attacks and accusations from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). On 30 August 2023, she was confirmed as the Broad Front's "coalition coordinator" (i.e. future presidential candidate).

López Obrador has made frequent references to her in his morning press conferences, including allusions to supposed irregularities in her companies' contracts. He also divulged confidential information regarding the tax returns of her private companies and the various entities with which they conduct business. These, and other references, have resulted in orders from the National Electoral Institute (INE) prohibiting López Obrador from commenting on the 2024 elections. This perceived harassment ultimately led Gálvez to seek constitutional protection against his actions; however, this protection has not yet been enforced.

See also

In Spanish: Xóchitl Gálvez para niños