by Peter Davies
Mexico News Daily
A man who inappropriately touched President Claudia Sheinbaum while she was walking in the historic center of Mexico City on Tuesday has been arrested, authorities confirmed.
Sheinbaum was walking from the National Palace to the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) when she stopped to greet supporters. Video footage shows a visibly intoxicated man approaching her, putting his arm around her, leaning in as if to kiss her, and placing his hands near or on her breasts. Sheinbaum removed his hands before an aide intervened. She then patted the man’s back and told him, “No te preocupes” (“Don’t worry”).
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Uriel Rivera Martínez, was arrested later that day, according to the capital’s Security Ministry (SSC). Rivera allegedly assaulted two other women in downtown Mexico City. He was turned over to the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (FGJ), which is investigating his actions, and detained at the FGJ’s sex crimes division.
Sheinbaum calls it a “regrettable episode”
At her Wednesday morning press conference, Sheinbaum described the incident as “a regrettable episode” that occurred while she walked with aides to a meeting.
“Why did I walk? Because it’s shorter,” she said, explaining she would have arrived late if she had gone by car.
“Many people greeted us along the way, no problem, until this completely drunk person came up, and that’s when I experienced this incident of harassment,” she said. Sheinbaum said she didn’t fully realize what happened until she saw videos later.
“I obviously felt the closeness of this person,” she said, adding that he appeared “completely drunk,” and possibly on drugs.
“If this is done to the president, what happens to young women?”
Sheinbaum said she decided to file a formal complaint because the incident reflected what many women in Mexico endure.
“I’ve experienced it before, when I wasn’t president, when I was a student,” she said. “It’s a crime in Mexico City — not in all states — but here it is.”
She added that failing to report the crime would send the wrong message: “If I don’t present a criminal complaint, what position does that leave other Mexican women in? If this is done to the president, what will happen with all the young women in our country?”
She emphasized that no one should have their personal space violated. “No man has the right to violate that space. The only way is under the approval of the woman,” she said. “It mustn’t occur.”
Sexual violence remains widespread
Sexual assault and harassment are common in Mexico, especially in public spaces and on transportation. According to national statistics agency INEGI, 48% of Mexican women aged 15 and older have experienced sexual violence. Including psychological and physical violence, the rate exceeds 70%.
Government to review laws and launch campaign
Sheinbaum announced she instructed Citlalli Hernández Mora, Minister for Women, to review national laws to ensure inappropriate touching and other forms of harassment are criminalized in every state.
“It should be a punishable criminal offense,” she said, promising an anti-harassment campaign “for all Mexican women.”
“There has to be respect for women in all senses,” she added. “It’s important that we make visible something that a lot of women experience throughout our lives.”
The Ministry of Women condemned the incident, saying, “No woman is exempt from experiencing sexual harassment in our country.” The statement emphasized that such violence “can’t be trivialized” and that reporting it is vital “to achieve justice and contribute to cultural change.”
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to eliminate “machismo and violence” and to strengthen women’s rights.
Security concerns arise
The incident has sparked concern about presidential security in a country where many public officials have been assassinated.
Despite this, Sheinbaum said she will not change her approach to public interaction. Like her predecessor and mentor Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), she is known for mingling freely with citizens — hugging supporters, high-fiving children, and greeting crowds.
“We’re not going to change the way we are,” she said. “We can’t distance ourselves from the people. That would be to deny where we come from and who we are.”
Her security team, called the Ayudantía, consists of aides rather than trained security professionals. Sheinbaum said this arrangement will continue.
“There is no known risk to my safety or that of the government,” she stated. “If there is a threat, the security cabinet informs us. But there is no threat against us. I’m not thinking about increasing my security.”
Sheinbaum criticizes Reforma newspaper for “revictimization”
The president also criticized the Mexico City daily Reforma for publishing photos of the incident on its front page. One image showed Rivera with his hands near Sheinbaum’s chest; another captured him trying to kiss her.
“The use of those images is also a crime,” Sheinbaum said. “There are things that have limits, and in particular, I think the photos that appear in Reforma constitute revictimization.”
She accused the newspaper of lacking ethics, though she said she would not take legal action. “There are limits for everything,” she said. “And yes, I would be expecting at least an apology from the newspaper.”
Broader implications for women’s safety
The assault has reignited national debate about women’s safety. Feminist groups have long denounced Mexico’s failure to adequately protect women from harassment and assault.
Under Mexico City law, sexual touching without consent — abuso sexual — can carry prison sentences of one to six years. In many states, however, it is not clearly defined as a crime.
By filing a complaint, Sheinbaum said she hopes to set an example. “It’s something that shouldn’t happen in our country, and I don’t say that as president but as a woman and in representation of Mexican women,” she said.
Despite the security concerns, Sheinbaum reiterated that she would continue walking among the people. “That’s who we are,” she said. “We come from the people, and we’re going to stay close to them.”
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