U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday congratulated Mexico President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic victory as the first female president of the country.
President Biden expressed his willingness to work with Claudia Sheinbaum to foster a closer relationship between the United States and Mexico.
“I look forward to working closely with President-elect Sheinbaum in the spirit of partnership and friendship that reflects the enduring bonds between our two countries. I expressed our commitment to advancing the values and interests of both our nations to the benefit of our peoples,” President Biden said in a statement.
Biden praised Mexico for its democratic election, calling it a significant achievement as congratulated the Mexican people for conducting a nationwide successful election.
Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor, is also the first Jewish person to be president of Mexico. She defeated opposition candidates Xóchitl Gálvez and Jorge Álvarez Máynez in Sunday’s election. Her six-year term will begin on October 1.
Sheinbaum, the chosen successor of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is a leftist known for her stance against economic inequality and her support for government intervention to strengthen the social safety net.
Sheinbaum’s transition is expected to be challenging for U.S.-Mexico relations, as the Biden administration has relied on López Obrador’s strict migration enforcement to reduce migrant encounters at the Southwest border.