Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Files Complaint After Public Sexual Assault Incident Sparks Outrage

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has filed a formal complaint after a man groped her and attempted to kiss her in Mexico City, an incident that was captured on video and went viral across social media. The attack occurred Tuesday as Sheinbaum, the country’s first female president, walked from the National Palace to the Ministry of Education while greeting the public.

In the footage, a middle-aged man can be seen placing his arm around Sheinbaum, touching her chest, and trying to kiss her before her staff intervenes. Sheinbaum later stated the man appeared to be intoxicated. Local media identified him as Uriel Rivera, who was arrested later that evening.

Sheinbaum condemned the act as a reflection of the gender-based violence many Mexican women face daily. “If this happens to the president, where does that leave all the young women in our country?” she said. “No man has the right to invade a woman’s personal space.” Despite the incident, she affirmed that she will continue her practice of staying close to the public, maintaining minimal security similar to her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The president criticized newspaper Reforma for publishing images of the assault, calling it “re-victimization” and a violation of women’s integrity under Mexico’s digital violence laws. The federal Women’s Ministry, which Sheinbaum established, also urged media outlets to avoid sharing such images and encouraged victims to report acts of violence.

Feminist groups have long accused Sheinbaum of inadequate action against Mexico’s femicide crisis, with 821 cases reported in 2024 and 501 through September 2025. Sheinbaum announced that sexual harassment should be a “criminal offense, punishable by law,” and has directed the Women’s Ministry to review state legal codes.

The attack has reignited national conversations about women’s safety, gender equality, and the urgent need for stronger legal protections in Mexico.