Political situation in Mexico

The president probably wants to continue with "do not hug bullets" against the cartels

Politically motivated violence in Mexico has increased by 150 percent during the past term. But Claudia Sheinbaum, the likely winner of today's presidential election, nevertheless wants to maintain her predecessor's deeply controversial crime policy "doesn't hug bullets". NBC News reports.

According to the channel, the policy is to avoid the state ending up in direct conflicts with the criminal cartels. Incumbent President Andrés Manuel Lopéz Obrador introduced the system after winning power in 2018.

Among other things, he has said that you cannot "fight violence with violence", but the line has also met with very harsh criticism.

- The criminals feel that they can do almost what they want without the state reacting, says Tony Payan, director of the Institute for US and Mexico Studies at Rice University.

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Another murder kicks off election day in Mexico

Another Mexican politician has been killed just hours before the polls in the country opened today. This is reported by AFP.

Israel Delgado, 35, was shot to death near his home in the state of Michoacan, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office.

In addition to the presidency, another 20,000 positions are to be filled in today's election. In total, at least 25 political candidates have been killed during the election campaign
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Mexico gets a female leader – big challenges await

Today, Mexico elects its first female president in history. Most indications are that the left-wing candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, closely allied with the outgoing president Andres Manuel López Obrador, is the one who will be allowed to take office in October.

The 61-year-old Sheinbaum, a trained physicist, has a large lead in the opinion polls against her main female opponent Xochitl Galvez.

- We have already won the election campaign and the debates. Now we just have to win the election, Sheinbaum said as she wrapped up her campaign.

Whoever wins has a tough six years ahead of them, regardless of who it is, writes Reuters. Mexico has a major problem with organized crime. In the last term alone, it has led to the death of 185,000 people. In addition, difficult negotiations await with the United States, which wants to stop immigration across the border between the two countries.