The recent incident involving the alleged sexual assault of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has shed light on the prevalent issue of gender violence in the country, experts say. Sheinbaum disclosed that she had filed a criminal complaint against a man named Uriel Rivera Martinez, who was captured on a widely circulated video groping and attempting to kiss her as she was en route from the National Palace to the Ministry of Education.
While this event garnered international attention, it was downplayed in domestic coverage, primarily focusing on the security lapse that allowed the man to approach the president shortly after the high-profile assassination of Carlos Manzo, a beloved mayor in Michoacán. Amneris Chaparro Martínez, a director and researcher at the Centre for Research and Gender Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, emphasized the normalization of gender violence in the country and the tendency to minimize its impact.
During a press conference, Sheinbaum and Minerva Citlalli Hernández Mora, the Secretary for Women, revealed that there are over 25,000 ongoing investigations into sexual violence against women. They announced plans to introduce measures on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, aimed at enhancing the institutional response to such violence nationwide.
Chaparro Martínez expressed concern over the lack of safety for women in public spaces, citing the incident as a stark example of ongoing harassment. Estefania Vela Barba, the executive director of Intersecta, a feminist human rights organization in Mexico City, highlighted the politicization of the assault and the efforts to downplay its significance. Despite this, she commended Sheinbaum for addressing the incident promptly and publicly, calling for accountability through legal channels.
Vela Barba emphasized the importance of Sheinbaum’s vocal stance against the assault, noting that such actions bring visibility to the issue of gender violence and provide a sense of empowerment for women facing similar challenges.