Sheinbaum's First 100 Days Mark Sharp Rise in Violence in Mexico

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Claudia Sheinbaum's initial 100 days as Mexico's president have been marked by a troubling increase in violence, with higher rates of murder and missing persons compared to her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. According to reports from the think tank México Evalúa, Sheinbaum's administration has seen more violent incidents in regions where organized crime has grown entrenched, complicating efforts to regain state control.

While she maintains López Obrador's foundational narrative of addressing root causes of violence, Sheinbaum has shifted focus to “intelligence” and “investigation.” Her administration's early months feature increased security operations and arrests, credited partly to appointing Omar García Harfuch as head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, which has altered the national security approach.

However, the rise in violent crime, particularly "political-criminal violence," raises concerns. Armando Vargas from México Evalúa warns that Sheinbaum's inherited context is more dire than that of López Obrador. The administration's efficacy in addressing crime is under scrutiny, as high impunity rates for violent crimes persist, suggesting that substantive change is still needed.

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