A shocking scene unfolded in Mexico City on Tuesday when a man grabbed President Claudia Sheinbaum’s breasts and attempted to kiss her during a public event near the National Palace.
Video footage shared on social media showed the president surrounded by supporters before the attacker suddenly moved in from behind, trying to kiss her neck while touching her chest.
Startled, Sheinbaum quickly stepped aside as her aides intervened to restrain the man. The attacker was immediately arrested by security officials on the scene.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, President Sheinbaum said she had decided to press formal charges against the offender.
She described the assault as a personal violation that reflected a much deeper national problem.
“My view is, if I don’t file a complaint, what will happen to other Mexican women?” she said.
“If they do this to the president, what happens to ordinary women?”
The president revealed that the man had reportedly harassed other women before targeting her. She said she would not allow the issue to be swept aside.
“A line must be drawn,” Sheinbaum added. “This is something we experience as women every day in Mexico.”
Women’s rights activists across the country have condemned the incident, calling it proof of deep-rooted machismo and gender violence in Mexican society.
Feminist commentator Ana Paola Rodríguez said the assault symbolized “how far patriarchy still goes when even the president isn’t safe.”
Mexico has one of the world’s highest rates of femicide, with more than 10 women killed every day. Official reports suggest that nearly 98% of gender-based murders go unpunished.
Sheinbaum, who became Mexico’s first female president earlier this year, had campaigned on a promise to tackle violence against women. Critics say progress has been slow, with activists urging stronger laws and enforcement.
Despite the assault, Sheinbaum told reporters she would not stop meeting citizens in public.
“I will continue interacting with people,” she said. “I will not allow fear to change who I am or how I lead.”
The incident has also renewed debates about presidential security, especially after the recent murder of Uruapan’s Mayor, Carlos Manzo, during Day of the Dead celebrations in Michoacán.
Manzo had previously appealed to the president for federal support against violent drug cartels.
Observers say the assault could push Sheinbaum’s administration to rethink its security policies, even as she continues her campaign to clamp down on drug violence and fentanyl trafficking a major issue in U.S.-Mexico relations.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue.