History made: Claudia Sheinbaum elected as Mexico’s first woman president in landslide win

Edelmira Montiel, 87, said that she was grateful to be alive to see a woman elected to the top office.

“Before, we couldn’t even vote, and when you could, it was to vote for the person your husband told you to vote for. Thank God that has changed and I get to live it,” she told Reuters news agency, referring to the fact that women were only allowed to vote in national elections in 1953.

While the fact that the two front-runners were women was widely celebrated, the campaign was marred by violent attacks.

As well as a new president, voters were also electing all members of Mexico’s Congress and governors in eight states, the head of Mexico City’s government, and thousands of local officials.

And it was local candidates in particular who were targeted in the run-up to the vote.

The government says more than 20 were killed across Mexico, although other surveys put the total at 37.

Ms Gálvez harshly criticised the government and her rival in the presidential race for the violence which blights large parts of Mexico.

She promised to be “the bravest president, a president who does confront crime” if elected, but failed to provide many details about how she would tackle the powerful criminal cartels which are behind much of the violence.

After Ms Sheinbaum’s lead became unassailable, Ms Gálvez called her.

“I told her I saw a Mexico with a lot of pain and violence. I wished that she could solve the severe problems our people have,” Ms Gálvez said of the call.

How to tackle Mexico’s violent cartels is going to be one of the many challenges facing Ms Sheinbaum when she takes up office.

She has said that it is important to tackle what she says are the roots of the violence and has promised to invest in welfare programmes to prevent poor young Mexicans from being recruited by criminal groups.

On relations with Mexico’s northern neighbour, the United States, which at times have been testy under her predecessor in office, she said she would ensure there would be “a relationship of friendship, mutual respect and equality”.

But in a reference to the many Mexicans living and working in the US, she promised to “always defend the Mexicans who are on the other side of the border”.

Relations between the US and Mexico suffered under Mr López Obrador, who has been in power since 2018.

The outspoken leader was barred from running for a second term under Mexico’s constitution, which limits presidents to a single six-year-term.

He threw his weight behind Ms Sheinbaum instead.

Having the backing of the popular president, who has an approval rate of close to 60%, gave Ms Sheinbaum’s campaign a huge boost.

Many of those voting for her said they backed Morena’s programme to alleviate poverty and wanted to see it continued.

(BBC News)