In the first two months of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency, Mexico has faced an escalation of violence that reflects the depth of the national security crisis.According to data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP), 5,031 intentional homicides have been registered in this brief period, an alarming average of 83 murders per day.These figures highlight a monumental challenge for Sheinbaum, who has inherited the disastrous legacy of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). During his six years in office, Mexico suffered a historic record of over 196,000 murders.These statistics position AMLO’s administration as the most violent in the modern history of the country, despite promises of pacification and a supposed focus on the “causes of violence.”
Homicides and Feminicides: Faces of a Deep Crisis
Between January and November 2024, Mexico recorded a total of 27,794 intentional homicides, an increase of 1.47% compared to the same period in 2023. This surge reflects the inability of previous security policies to contain violence, leaving Sheinbaum with a complex landscape.
In terms of feminicides, the figures show a slight decrease, with 762 cases reported in the same period, a 3.67% drop from the previous year.
However, this reduction cannot be celebrated while hundreds of women continue to be murdered for gender-related reasons in a country where justice remains inaccessible for many victims. It is troubling that the government rhetoric is limited to presenting these data as progress, without addressing the structural failures of the penal justice system or the ineffectiveness of prevention policies.
México acumula 5,031 homicidios en los últimos meses
Sheinbaum: A Real Change or More of the Same?
As a representative of Morena, the party created by López Obrador, Claudia Sheinbaum has promised to continue with an approach based on the “causes of violence.”
Her security plan focuses on four pillars: helping young people by providing alternatives to crime, strengthening the National Guard, using intelligence against organized crime, and improving coordination between government levels.
However, this approach raises doubts about whether it truly represents a significant change or simply perpetuates the inertia of AMLO’s policies, which failed to reduce violence.
The insistence on militarizing public security through the consolidation of the National Guard is particularly concerning, as this strategy has proven to be both ineffective and has contributed to human rights violations and the weakening of civilian institutions.
The Cost of Ignoring Reality
Sheinbaum’s official discourse emphasizes prevention and social development, but the initial figures of her government contradict the effectiveness of these promises.
While attempts have been made to justify the increase in homicides as part of a transition to a more preventive model, citizens face a much harsher reality: insecurity continues to dominate daily life in Mexico.
Civil organizations like Causa en Común have criticized Sheinbaum’s security plan for lacking innovation and replicating past mistakes. The absence of strong measures against corruption and organized crime, as well as the lack of a clear strategy to strengthen judicial institutions, have perpetuated a dysfunctional system that benefits criminals.
Vean la cara de nervios que tiene Sheinbaum.
— Neoliberalover (@neoliberalover) December 23, 2024
La incomodidad de hablar del tema sobre la intervención de USA en México al declarar terroristas a los narcos.
Sus estadísticas alteradas de que un 99% rechaza la intervención.
Tremendo y estúpido ser humano, no puede combatir el… pic.twitter.com/qyPFBtzbzc
¨Look at Sheinbaum’s nervous face.
The discomfort of talking about the subject of the US intervention in Mexico by declaring drug traffickers as terrorists.
Her altered statistics that 99% reject the intervention.
Tremendous and stupid human being, she cannot fight organized crime, her predecessor left 200 thousand intentional homicides. This government has alarming figures of homicides, extortions.
On the contrary, I support the intervention of the USA to fight organized crime.¨
Mexico stands at a historic crossroads. The first months of Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration provide a preview of what could be a term marked by the continuation of failed policies and a rhetoric that prioritizes ideology over effectiveness.
The country needs leaders who face reality with courage, who prioritize the safety of citizens above political interests, and who adopt pragmatic and effective solutions.
However, Sheinbaum’s ideological and political closeness to López Obrador raises serious doubts about her ability to lead real change. If the president fails to reverse the security crisis in the short term, her government runs the risk of being remembered as an extension of the most violent term in the history of Mexico.
In a country where violence has become the norm, citizens deserve more than empty promises: they deserve safety, justice, and a peaceful future.
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