Mexico

The election of Claudia Sheinbaum marks a historic moment in Mexico’s history. But beyond her elevation as the nation’s first woman and first Jewish president is the question of whether she will be able to curb cartel-related corruption and violence in Latin America’s second-most populous country.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Sept. 15, is celebrated with fiestas, salsa dance classes and steaming trays of empanadas, but local leaders say it should also be a time to examine historical challenges, resource access issues and policies affecting the community.

Drug trafficking from Mexico to the U.S. was a front-burner issue at the North American Leaders Summit on Jan. 10 when President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City.