Photo: NV.UA
Claudia Sheinbaum, the first female president of Mexico, has faced unprecedented challenges since Donald Trump returned to power in the United States. In her article for The New Yorker, the journalist describes how Sheinbaum is trying to balance Mexico’s internal problems with the aggressive policies of her northern neighbour.
Sheinbaum, a 62-year-old physicist by training, took office in October 2024, inheriting the political legacy of her predecessor, the charismatic populist Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). Her style of governance contrasts with his tumultuous manner: she demonstrates coolness and technocratic competence. In daily press conferences, known as mañaneras, Scheinbaum often avoids direct conflicts by focusing on domestic priorities such as healthcare, even as public attention is focused on Trump’s threats.
Trump, who returned to the White House in January 2025, has made Mexico a target of his policies. He threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican goods, declare a state of emergency at the border, and recognise Mexican cartels as terrorist organisations. These statements caused panic in Mexico, with border towns preparing for mass deportations and economists warning of a recession. Sheinbaum, however, called for calm, emphasising Mexico’s sovereignty and the need for dialogue with the US.
Her strategy is patient manoeuvring. In February 2025, when Trump threatened tariffs again, Sheinbaum negotiated a temporary delay. Mexico agreed to step up its fight against drug trafficking by extraditing 29 cartel leaders to the US and allowing US intelligence agencies to expand operations on its territory. These concessions have drawn criticism, with some analysts comparing them to a “tribute to the angry gods”.
Sheinbaum’s domestic politics are also worrying. The Morena party, which she leads, has amassed enormous power, controlling a majority in Congress, three-quarters of the states and possibly soon the judiciary thanks to a reform that allows judges to be elected by popular vote. Critics fear that Mexico is returning to one-party rule, similar to the era of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
One of the most pressing issues is the problem of missing persons. More than 127,000 people are still missing in Mexico, many of them victims of cartels or state forces. The recent discovery of hundreds of bone fragments on a ranch in Jalisco state, dubbed “Mexico’s Auschwitz,” sparked mass protests. Sheinbaum has promised reforms, but her government has been accused of downplaying the tragedy and blocking investigations.
Despite these challenges, Sheinbaum maintains a high approval rating of over 80%. Her activist past, including her involvement in the 1968 protests, contrasts with her current cautious politics. Some, like Sara Hernandez, who has known Sheinbaum since she was a young girl, still hope that the president will return to her ideals. However, hope is fading as the government avoids dialogue with critics and families of the disappeared.
On the international scene, Sheinbaum is preparing to renegotiate the US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement. However, her strategy of patience may not be enough if Trump continues to apply pressure. Mexico, whose economy is 70% dependent on trade, faces a difficult choice: cooperation or confrontation. So far, Sheinbaum has chosen the former, but as analyst Carlos Bravo Regidor notes, this may only be a temporary appeasement of the “angry gods”.
