Tepid Reaction in Mexico to Assault on President Highlights Normalized Gender Violence
The muted and partisan response within Mexico to the apparent sexual assault against President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday reflects how gender violence has become deeply normalized in the country, according to experts.
Details of the Incident
Sheinbaum announced on Thursday that she sent a letter to Mexico City’s attorney general on Wednesday to file a criminal complaint against Uriel Rivera Martinez, 33, the man accused of the act. A widely shared cellphone video showed him groping and attempting to kiss the president as she walked from the National Palace to the Ministry of Education.
Comparative Perspective
In Canada, such an incident would typically be investigated as sexual assault because it involves unwanted sexual touching and fondling.
Domestic Media and Public Reaction
Despite international coverage, the event received only secondary attention in Mexican media. It was mostly portrayed as a security failure, highlighting how a man managed to touch the president just days after the assassination of Carlos Manzo, a popular mayor in Michoacán.
“It shows how much we have normalized gender violence in this country, and that even [when] we have such strong evidence of harassment in the streets and harassment toward the president of the country, we minimize its effects,” said Amneris Chaparro Martínez, director and researcher at the Centre for Research and Gender Studies, National Autonomous University of Mexico.
“That kind of shows you the attitude that in this country we tend to have about issues related to women.”
Expert Analysis
Chaparro Martínez emphasizes that the incident reveals societal attitudes that downplay harassment and gender-based violence, even in high-profile instances involving the nation's leader.
Summary
The reaction to the assault on President Sheinbaum exposes how normalized gender violence remains entrenched in Mexico, often minimizing its severity even with clear evidence.
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