In Mexico's first presidential debate ahead of the June 2 election, former Mexican mayor and front-runner Claudia Sheinbaum remained calm amid personal attacks from former Sen. He seemed satisfied with the lead.
MEXICO CITY — In Mexico's first presidential debate on Sunday ahead of the June 2 election, former Mexico City mayor and front-runner Claudia Sheinbaum was interviewed by former Sen. Sositl Gálvez. He remained calm amidst the attacks and seemed content with his lead in the polls.
Jorge Álvarez Maínez, candidate for the Civic Movement Party, which has a single-digit approval rating in opinion polls, beams and says he is the candidate to replace the other two candidates who represent “old politics.” expressed.
During the debate, candidates answered questions on health, education, corruption, transparency, vulnerable groups, violence against women, and more.
Opinion polls show Mr. Sheinbaum, a member of the Morena party led by outgoing leftist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, leading Mr. Galvez, who represents the opposition coalition, by more than 20 points. If Sheinbaum or Gálvez wins, she will become the first female president of Mexico, a country known for its gender-based violence and macho, male-dominated culture.
Sheinbaum emphasized his ties to the popular López Obrador and vowed to continue his policies.
“We're going to continue to transform Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.
Meanwhile, Galvez launched personal attacks against his rivals, including against Sheinbaum.
“Claudia, you are cold and heartless even if you deny it. I would like to call you the Ice Lady,” Galvez said.
“Claudia, you're not AMLO. You don't have his charisma,” she said, using the president's nickname. Sheinbaum did not respond to some of Galvez's sharp attacks.
Mention of López Obrador was surprisingly sparse in the debate, even though the populist leader, who is not eligible for re-election, is seen as a favorite in future opinion polls.
The candidates also discussed rising levels of immigration to the United States, agreeing that immigrants should be protected and respected as they transit through Mexico. This was in contrast to the security-oriented approach promoted by the US government.
Notably, the candidates said little about Mexico's soaring levels of violence or the killing of local candidates, but the subsequent debate is expected to focus on security topics.
Sheinbaum opened the debate Friday by briefly mentioning the recent attack on the Mexican embassy by Ecuadorian police, thanking embassy staff for their bravery.
