Sober and impassive, Claudia Sheinbauma brilliant scientist whom her rival calls “Ice lady”, She seeks to become the first president of a sexist Mexico, full of tragedies and passions.
Both in her student militancy in the 1980s and in her first public position as Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City (2000-2006), she projected seriousness and focus. With an imperturbable face, she rarely smiled.
It is necessary to review old family photos and movies to see her fun in her childhood games, or as a teenager smiling flirtatiously for the camera.
“Claudia is a woman, mother, today grandmother, scientist,” says the 61-year-old candidate in a recent biographical documentary and immediately lists her academic titles and positions.
“Neither she nor I were into socializing with everyone”remembers Guillermo Robles, who was his classmate in the energy engineering master’s degree at UNAM in 1987.
Sheinbaum then completed a doctorate in environmental engineering at UNAM, for which he researched for four years in the United States, and was part of the Intergovernmental Panel on UN Climate Change (IPCC) who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
The magnetism of this young woman of Jewish descent lay in her left-wing convictions that made her a member of the University Student Council (CEU), says Robles.
That group stopped an attempt to privatize the public university and was a pool of personalities from the current government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, its political godfather.
Although Sheinbaum “was not one of the main ones” leaders, according to Robles, her commitment did not diminish even when she was pregnant with her daughter Mariana, now 36 years old.
That conviction has a family vein. Her mother, Annie Pardo, a renowned biologist, was expelled as a university professor for denouncing the 1968 massacre of students in Plaza Tlatelolco.
“Take decisions”
Temperance and discretion have marked the performance of Sheinbaum, whose grandparents came to Mexico from Bulgaria and Lithuania fleeing the Second World War.
As mayor of a district in Mexico City, she faced the collapse of a school during the 2017 earthquake that killed 26 people, including 19 children. Methodically, she insisted that irregularities detected in the construction were not attributable to the mayor’s office.
She also handled with aplomb two critical moments as mayor of the capital (2018-2023): the pandemic and the collapse of a metro line.
The use of scientific methods and technological tools reflected Sheinbaum’s imprint in the management of covid, which, however, left a high mortality rate.
“He has an impressive capacity for analysis, reading data and finding very practical solutions”comments Tatiana Clouthier, López Obrador’s former Economy Minister, today his campaign spokesperson.
After the collapse of a subway line that left 27 dead and 80 injured in 2021, he defended his team and opted for a controversial negotiation with the construction company – owned by magnate Carlos Slim – to compensate victims and avoid lawsuits.
“Governing is making decisions. You have to make the decision and assume the pressures that can be generated“, argues in the documentary Sheinbaum, who led voting intentions for next Sunday’s elections by more than 20 percentage points, according to the latest polls.
“Ice lady”
Already in the campaign, a camera caught her angrily claiming unfair treatment from the party while she was competing for the presidential candidacy with former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, whose attacks also failed to exasperate her. But that coldness of hers also works against her.
She never looked at or called her main opponent, the center-right Xóchitl Gálvez, by name during three debates in which she harshly attacked her.
“You are still cold, heartless, I would call you the ice lady.”Gálvez snapped at him during the first confrontation, pointing out that he did not have the “charisma” of López Obrador.
But the campaign also revealed an affectionate and smiling Sheinbaum, ways that she usually reserves for those closest to her. She distributed hugs and kisses to thousands of supporters, and put grace and humor into TikTok videos.
In November 2023, she also shared the news of her second marriage to Jesús Tarriba, her college love, with whom she reunited via Facebook in 2016.
She is attentive to the women on her campaign team and a supporter of horizontal leadership.
““Despite being a scientist, she is a social fighter who makes a very good combination of mind and heart,” Clouthier points out. Robles, his research colleague for more than a decade, highlights that she has never “The fumes went up.”
“He does have love for Mexico, it is not ambition like many politicians. “Claudia is not even remotely similar to traditional politicians.”he assures.
It may interest you
- Sheinbaum proposes renegotiating Pemex’s debt and a renewable energy plan
- Mexico, mostly Catholic, could have its first president of Jewish origin
- Sheinbaum maintains a lead of 17 points after the first month of the campaign, according to survey
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
