Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Presses Charges After Being Groped In Public
Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, says she will press charges after being groped by a man during a public event near the National Palace in Mexico City.
Footage shared online shows Sheinbaum greeting supporters when a man suddenly grabbed her from behind, touched her chest and hip, and tried to kiss her neck. Startled, the president quickly pulled away as one of her aides stepped in. The man, who Sheinbaum later described as “completely drunk,” was arrested the same evening and is now in custody with the Sex Crimes Investigation Unit.
Speaking at her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said the attack highlighted a broader problem in Mexico. “My thinking is: If I don’t file a complaint, what becomes of other Mexican women? If this happens to the president, what will happen to all the women in our country?”
Sheinbaum called the incident “an assault on all women” and confirmed she would work with the Secretariat for Women to push for stronger laws nationwide. “It should be a criminal offence, and we are going to launch a campaign,” she said. “There must be respect for women in every sense. Harassment is a crime — and it’s time everyone in this country understands that.”
The assault has reignited anger over Mexico’s ongoing crisis of gender violence. According to official data, more than 70% of Mexican women have experienced harassment or violence, and 98% of femicides go unpunished.
Women’s rights groups have condemned the attack, saying it reflects deep-rooted machismo and entitlement in society. The government’s own Secretariat for Women said proximity to the public “cannot be used as an excuse to invade someone’s personal space or make physical contact without consent.”
The attack also sparked debate about the president’s security. Like her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum has chosen not to reinstate a formal presidential guard. Critics argue that decision has left her vulnerable, especially following the recent killing of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo during public festivities.
But Sheinbaum remains firm. “We can’t stay far from the people — that would deny who we are,” she said. “Our aides will continue to accompany us, but we must remain close to citizens.”
Despite the shock and outrage, Sheinbaum insists she will not let fear distance her from the public. Instead, she hopes her decision to act will inspire others. “This is something that I experienced as a woman, but that we as women experience in our country,” she said. “No man has the right to violate that space.”
