Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Files Complaint After Being Groped in Public, Calls for Stronger Harassment Laws

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has filed a complaint against a man who groped her and attempted to kiss her during a public walk in Mexico City, an incident that was caught on video and widely circulated online. The country’s first female president condemned the act, saying, “If this happens to the president, where does that leave all the young women in our country?” She stressed that no man has the right to invade a woman’s personal space and vowed to continue engaging directly with the public despite the episode.

The assault occurred on Tuesday in the capital’s historic center as Sheinbaum was walking from the National Palace to the Ministry of Education. The video showed a middle-aged man putting his arm around her, touching her chest, and trying to kiss her before being pulled away by her staff. Sheinbaum said the man appeared to be intoxicated and was later identified as Uriel Rivera, who was arrested on Tuesday night. The incident has renewed debate over the president’s minimal security approach and broader concerns about women’s safety in Mexico.

Sheinbaum criticized newspaper Reforma for publishing images of the assault, calling it an act of “re-victimization” and a violation of digital violence laws. She announced that she has asked the Women’s Ministry to review legal codes across Mexico to ensure sexual harassment is criminalized nationwide. The ministry also urged media outlets to avoid reproducing content that harms the integrity of women, while activists highlighted that the incident underscores the everyday violence faced by women in a country still battling rampant gender-based abuse.

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