President Sheinbaum Groped on Mexico City Street — Video Sparks Outcry Over Security and Sexual Harassment

President Sheinbaum Groped While Greeting Citizens in Mexico City

Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, was groped by a man while greeting people on a Mexico City street in an incident captured on video that has renewed scrutiny of presidential security and highlighted the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in the country.

The footage, posted on Tuesday, shows an apparently intoxicated man approaching Sheinbaum from behind, attempting to kiss her on the neck and wrap his arms around her. Sheinbaum quickly removed his hands and turned to face him before a nearby government official stepped in and placed himself between them. As handlers escorted the man away, the president managed a tight smile and said, "Don't worry."

State police later confirmed the man was arrested. Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed formal charges.

"Even if you’re the president, any guy believes he has the right to touch you," said Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, a journalist for the feminist outlet Volcánicas. "When they ask what the patriarchy is — this is it."

Commentators argued the episode underscores that no woman is immune to harassment in Mexico. Observers also questioned the visibility and speed of presidential protection in the video, noting it took several seconds for someone to intervene.

Broader security context

The incident comes days after the killing of Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, a popular mayor who was shot dead during Day of the Dead celebrations in Uruapan, Michoacán. Authorities said the gunman fired seven close-range shots at Manzo Rodríguez before being killed himself. In the months before his death, Manzo Rodríguez had publicly appealed to President Sheinbaum for help confronting criminal groups in his region.

The attack on a sitting mayor is part of a wider pattern of violence against officials in Mexico: 37 candidates were killed on the campaign trail before the June 2024 election, and since Sheinbaum took office on 1 October another 10 municipal presidents have been murdered. While local officials are most frequently targeted, national-level figures have also faced deadly threats — from the assassination of presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio in 1994 to the 2020 assassination attempt on Omar García Harfuch, Sheinbaum’s security minister.

Sheinbaum has generally followed the precedent of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, by mingling with crowds and maintaining a relatively low-profile security posture. The latest incident may prompt a reassessment of that approach as critics call for both clearer protection and a strong public stance against sexual harassment.

"Hopefully the presidency will press charges, and the president will send a clear message: no man has the right to kiss or touch a woman without her consent," wrote Alejandra Escobar, editorial director of Etcétera magazine, on X.

The episode has reignited debate across Mexico about public safety for officials and the everyday reality of harassment faced by women, even those in the highest offices.