Claudia Sheinbaum was the target of unwanted attention on Tuesday. The President of Mexico was speaking to supporters when a man approached her and tried to kiss and grope her. She has since said she will be pressing charges against the man, who was reportedly drunk at the time of the assault.
The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, was groped during a meet and greet
In a viral video, the man can be seen trying to kiss the President’s neck and grope her body from behind. She was speaking to supporters outside the National Palace in Mexico City.
Mexico’s first female president has since said she will be pressing charges against the groper. At a press conference on Wednesday, she said she hadn’t immediately noticed what the man was doing, but after watching videos she realized exactly what had occurred.
At the conference, she said she had chosen to pursue legal action because “because this is something that I experienced as a woman, but that we as women experience in our country,” per the BBC.
She added: “My view is, if I don’t file a complaint, what will happen to other Mexican women? If they do this to the president, what will happen to all women in our country?”
The politician concluded: “It’s something that should not happen in our country. And I don’t say that as the president, but as a woman, and someone representing all Mexican women. It should never happen.”
The man had allegedly harassed other women at the event on Tuesday before turning his attention to the President.
The incident has sparked further debate about issues surrounding women’s rights in Mexico. The country has a big problem with femicide – only 2% of gender-based murders are punished, per the BBC.
TELL US – WILL THE INCIDENT HELP CHANGE ATTITUDES SURROUNDING CONSENT?
