No. 25: Claudia Sheinbaum: Mexico’s first woman president, governing on her own terms

Claudia Sheinbaum became Mexico's first woman and first Jewish president in 2024, serving a six-year term. An atheist with no official ties to the Jewish community, she was born in Mexico City to parents of Lithuanian Ashkenazi and Bulgarian Sephardi descent. Before her presidency, Sheinbaum was a climate scientist who shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and served as Mexico City's mayor, pioneering green initiatives.

• As president, she leads the left-wing Morena Party, focusing on economic equality, welfare programs, and women's rights, including establishing Mexico's first Ministry of Women.
• Domestically, she has taken a strong stance against drug cartels, notably overseeing the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes in February 2026.
• In foreign policy, Sheinbaum operates under a doctrine of “coordination, not subordination” with the US, negotiating trade and migration issues. She initially caused a diplomatic incident with Spain by not inviting King Felipe VI to her inauguration, but later reconciled, leading to a historic visit by the King to Mexico City.
• Regarding the Middle East, Mexico maintains relations with Israel, but Sheinbaum accepted the credentials of the first fully recognized Palestinian ambassador in March 2025 and formally accused Israel of “genocide” in September 2025.