Mexico: Sheinbaum Named Morena Party's Candidate

Facts

• Mexico's ruling Morena Party named former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election on Wednesday. Her selection all but assures that Mexico will have its first female president as the opposition has tagged Xochitl Galvez as its candidate.¹
• The Mexican presidential election will be held on June 2, 2024. The election will determine a successor to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is barred by the constitution from serving another six-year term.²
• Sheinbaum, 61, is a close ally of Lopez Obrador and had been regarded as the favorite to be selected in the national poll organized by Morena. She told supporters at a press conference, 'We will win in 2024.'³
• Morena party president Alfonso Durazo said that runner-up former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard lost to Sheinbaum by double figures in five party polls.⁴
• Hours before the winner was announced, Ebrard said the vote contained irregularities and another should be held.²
• Sheinbaum is seen as the favorite, as the Morena party remains extremely popular, while her opponent, Galvez, is a relative unknown, with 48% of the population not knowing who she is.⁵

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Reuters, ³Us news & world report, ⁴Associated Press and ⁵Guardian.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by International socialist alternative. While Morena has dominated Mexican politics for quite some time, the party is fracturing. Internal conflict and the lack of a clear direction after Pres. Obrador's departure creates uncertainty for Mexico's ruling party, and Claudia Sheinbaum has a lot of work to do in order to bring everyone together. The Morena party hasn't lived up to its promise, and it may be time for an alternative to the ruling regime.
• Narrative B, as provided by La jornada. After a contentious battle over who will represent Morena in next year's presidential election, Claudia Sheinbaum has emerged victorious, and the party will unite around her to secure victory. Politics can become divisive and ugly at times, but members of Morena know that they all have the same goal. The party won't allow personal differences to interfere with uniting behind Sheinbaum.