Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first woman president, inherits one of the most dangerous countries for the press

Claudia Sheinbaum won Mexico’s presidential election on 2 June 2024 and became the first woman to hold the country’s presidency. She took office on 1 October 2024, succeeding Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Mexico has for years ranked among the deadliest countries for journalism outside active war zones, according to records kept by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders. Most killings of journalists remain unsolved, and the federal protection mechanism has been criticized for lacking resources.

Press organizations asked the new administration to stop publicly stigmatizing journalists from the presidential podium and to strengthen investigations into crimes against reporters, especially in states with a strong presence of organized crime.

Sources: National Electoral Institute; CPJ; Artículo 19 Mexico and Central America.