Claudia Sheinbaum becomes Mexico's first female president

Claudia Sheinbaum was quickly chosen as Mexico's first female president. She made history in a country where crime and violence against women are common.

On Sunday, fans of the ruling party candidate sang and danced to mariachi music to celebrate their win. It happened in a country where ten women or girls are killed every day.

The crowd cheered as Sheinbaum spoke. "I want to thank the millions of Mexican women and men who chose to vote for us on this historic day."

The 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City thanked her primary opponent, Xochitl Galvez, who admitted losing.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico's new leader, called Sheinbaum's win a "historic event." Joe Biden, the US president, said he was excited to work with her "in the spirit of partnership and friendship."

The National Electoral Institute reported that 60% of voters went to the polls, and Sheinbaum, a scientist by background, got between 58% and 60% of the votes.

That was more than 30 percentage points more than Galvez and about 50 percentage points more than Jorge Alvarez Maynez, the only other candidate running as a moderate.

A 37-year-old Tojolabal woman, Maria de Los Angeles Gordillo, said that hearing Sheinbaum speak made her cry.

"This is a historic moment for our country, and I'm here to celebrate it, especially for women who carry these flaws on their skin," she said.

People from all over the Latin American country went to the polls, even though there was some violence in places where dangerous drug gangs were active.

After a particularly bloody election season in which more than twenty candidates for local office were killed, thousands of troops were sent to protect voters.

Another person who stayed up late to hear the winner talk was Lol-Kin Castaneda, 48. "Our society is violent, sexist, and misogynistic, and Dr. Sheinbaum, as president, will be able to help change not only the laws but society," she said.

"There can't be any more violence in Mexico," she said.

'Transformation'

Female voters, empowered by the possibility of their preferred candidate breaking the ultimate political barrier, have expressed their enthusiasm.

"The appointment of a female president will bring about a significant change in this nation, and we anticipate that she will priorities the advancement of women," said Clemencia Hernandez, a 55-year-old caretaker in Mexico City.

Numerous women are oppressed by their relationships. "They are prohibited from leaving their residence to engage in employment," she said.

Daniela Perez, a 30-year-old, said that the presence of a female president would be a significant event despite her belief that neither of the two primary contenders fully embodies feminist principles.

Approximately 100 million individuals were officially enrolled to participate in the electoral process in the most densely populated Spanish-speaking nation, home to 129 million people.

Sheinbaum's popularity is primarily attributed to Lopez Obrador, the current president, who shares her socialist ideology and serves as her mentor. Lopez Obrador has a high approval rating of over 60 percent but is limited to serving just one term.

Preliminary results indicate that Clara Brugada, the candidate from the governing party, has been elected as the mayor of Mexico City, a very significant political position in the nation.

'Hugs, not bullets'

In a country where criminality, politics, and corruption are all intertwined, drug cartels will stop at nothing to guarantee the victory of their chosen candidates.

Official estimates indicate that at least 25 other political prospects have been assassinated this election season. Just hours before polling began, a local candidate was slain in a volatile western state, according to officials.

An anonymous source in the local administration informed AFP that two individuals lost their lives in the Mexican state of Puebla, which is located in the center of the country when masked individuals broke into voting places in an apparent attempt to steal ballots.

Acts of violence prompted the suspension of voting in two towns in the southern state of Chiapas.

The departing president's contentious "hugs, not bullets" approach to addressing the causes of crime will be carried on by Sheinbaum.

With the proclamation "hugs for criminals are over," Galvez had promised a more severe response to violence stemming from the cartels.

Since the government sent the army to combat drug trafficking in 2006, over 450,000 people have been killed, and tens of thousands have gone missing.

Managing the sensitive relationship with the neighboring US, especially on the contentious issues of migration and drug smuggling over international borders, will fall to the next president.

In addition to selecting a new president, Mexicans cast ballots for nearly 20,000 other officeholders, including senators, state governors, and countless municipal politicians.