In historic elections scheduled for Sunday, Mexicans will vote among key considerations such as gender representation, democratic principles and the influence of populism.
But the democratization process is overshadowed by the threat of cartel violence, highlighting the challenges the country faces moving forward. AP report.
According to the National Electoral Commission, “With two women in the lead, Mexico is likely to elect its first female president, a major step for a country that has long been characterized by a 'macho' culture.”
Related article: Mexico's first female president elected. Her job is to save the country
He also noted that the elections will be the largest in the country's history, with more than 20,000 parliamentary and local posts at stake.
of AP The report noted that violence has escalated during local election campaigns in Mexico, with criminal gangs using these elections to assert their advantage and sparking a spike in bloodshed.
Amid the escalating violence, more than 20 political candidates have tragically lost their lives this year. The political context, including the legacy of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Mexico's complicated relationship with the United States, only adds to the complexity of the situation.
Mexican elections: How does voting work?
Political parties finalized their candidates well before the campaigns for presidential, parliamentary and local elections officially began. On June 2, millions of voters will head to the polls to choose their new leader in a single vote. The winner of the highly anticipated presidential election will serve a six-year term.
As attention turns to the presidential election, Mexicans will also be voting to elect 128 senators, 500 representatives and around 20,000 local government positions.
Who are the candidates for Mexico's presidential election?
Claudia Scheinbaum
The former mayor of Mexico City has held a large lead in the polls for months. Backed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's ruling Morena party, he has vowed to continue the president's populist policies.
Trained as a scientist, Scheinbaum faces the challenge of asserting her own identity while also highlighting her ties to Lopez Obrador, but she manages to walk this delicate balance and emerge victorious despite lacking his charisma.
Candidate Xochitl Galvez
Galvez, an opposition senator and tech entrepreneur, leads a coalition of parties that has traditionally lacked common ground, except for recent opposition to Lopez Obrador.
Galvez, known for his vocal and fierce critic of the outgoing president, has struggled to generate much enthusiasm for his “Strength and Heart for Mexico” coalition.
Jorge Alvarez Minez
The third candidate, former federal deputy Jorge Álvarez Maínez of the Citizen Movement party, is less well known. Despite his appeal to younger voters, Álvarez Maínez has struggled to garner significant support in elections.
Mexico's first female president
The election of a female president will mark a significant milestone in a country marked by severe gender-based violence and deep-rooted gender inequality.
Mexico continues to struggle with a deep-rooted “machismo,” a male-dominated culture that perpetuates huge economic and social disparities within society. This deeply rooted misogyny is manifested in many ways, including a tragically high rate of female homicide and horrific incidents such as acid attacks targeting women.
In a historic development, more and more women are taking on leadership and political roles in socially conservative Mexico.
Related articles: Mexico's next leader could be a woman. Millions of people continue to live in the shadows as domestic workers.
This progress is due in part to sustained efforts by authorities over the decades to increase political representation, including laws requiring half of political parties' parliamentary candidates to be women. Since 2018, Mexico's Congress has maintained a 50/50 gender split, and there has been a notable increase in female governors.
Both leading candidates, Scheinbaum and Galvez, have pledged to tackle the shocking rates of gender-based violence and close the gender gap if elected.
Why is the campaign observing “violence”?
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's “hugs, not bullets” policy, which aims to address the underlying social factors that lead to violence, has come under fire as drug cartels and criminal gangs expand their influence, and despite promises to reduce violence, murder rates remain high.
Lopez Obrador's unwillingness to confront criminal gangs has allowed them to thrive, and activists accuse his administration of downplaying the scale of Mexico's enforced disappearances ahead of the election.
Related story: Mexico's drug cartels and gangs appear to be playing a bigger role than before in Sunday's election
Reports say APCriminal groups see elections, especially local ones, as an opportunity to seize power, leading to turf wars and violence. At least 145 politically connected individuals have been killed by organized crime this year alone, according to a study tracked by human rights group Data-Civica.
Violence has been particularly severe in Mexico's southern states of Chiapas and Guerrero, and the central state of Michoacan, where criminal gangs are fighting over territory.
(With input from AP)
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