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The Guardian (Long Read) ·Behind the news

Claudia Sheinbaum: the Wildly Popular Mexican President Dealing with Drug Violence, Disappearances and Donald Trump

by Rachel Nolan

Published 2026-06-11 04:00:05+00:00

How does a former student activist lead the military institution she spent her youth protesting?

0:00 / 43:56 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

This profile from 11 June 2026 follows Claudia Sheinbaum, the climate scientist and former activist now leading a nation caught between popular hope and persistent violence. With an approval rating near 70 percent, Sheinbaum maintains a calm, data-driven front that contrasts with the chaos of cartel warfare and the unresolved crisis of Mexico’s disappeared. The piece considers the friction inherent in her position: a leftist intellectual who relies on the military to govern, while answering to the very social movements that once shaped her own political identity.

Show notes

A profile of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum tracing her evolution from a student activist and climate scientist to the leader of a nation facing systemic violence. Drawing on interviews with associates, critics, and human rights advocates, it examines her governance style and the populist legacy of her predecessor. Her current policy challenges, including the crisis of the disappeared and relations with the United States, are situated against her history as a critic of state power.

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