A man has been arrested in Mexico City after attempting to grab and kiss President Claudia Sheinbaum during a walk through the city’s historic centre on Wednesday.

Video footage circulating online shows the man approaching President Sheinbaum from the side, placing his arm around her, and trying to kiss her before allegedly attempting to grope her. Security officers quickly intervened, pushing him away.

According to El Universal newspaper, the suspect has been charged with sexual harassment and sexual abuse.

The incident has raised concerns about the president’s security arrangements, as Sheinbaum—like her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador—does not employ the military unit typically assigned to protect Mexico’s head of state.

Reacting to the incident, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

“If they touch the president, they touch all of us. Today, when the president is harassed just for being a woman, we are all harassed.”

President Sheinbaum, 63, is Mexico’s first female president. Women’s rights advocacy has been central to her political agenda, reflecting the country’s troubling statistics — nearly half of all Mexican women have experienced some form of sexual violence, according to national data.

Authorities have assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that measures will be taken to strengthen the president’s security.

El Universal newspaper