In line with the principles of her party, MORENA, founded by López Obrador, Sheinbaum is committed to a progressive agenda that promotes, among other things, abortion and gender ideology.
MORENA defines itself as an “anti-neoliberal and left-wing” political movement that is committed to “the fulfillment of its general obligations regarding human rights as well as with a gender perspective and taking into account intersectionality.”
At the beginning of her campaign, the candidate announced 100 commitments that she would fulfill if elected president, including that she would guarantee “access to health for women throughout their life cycle, especially with regards to sexual and reproductive health.”
In different publications of international institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), “sexual and reproductive health” as well as “sexual and reproductive rights” usually include so-called “safe abortion.”
In 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which had legalized abortion throughout the country, Sheinbaum declared that “it would be a setback” if the neighboring country were to make abortion, which she called a “right,” illegal. In response, her then-secretary of health, Oliva López Arellano, touted Mexico City as a safe haven for foreigners who wanted to have an abortion.
That year, when so-called homosexual “marriage” was passed in Guerrero and Tamaulipas states, Sheinbaum celebrated: “Today the entire country makes progress in equal rights with the passage of marriage equality in Guerrero and Tamaulipas. I celebrate this demonstration of the will of the people and the search for justice for all men and women by both state congresses. Love is love.”
In addition, the former head of the Mexico City government publicly condemned conversion therapy for homosexual people, considering it “from the inquisition” and saying that these are measures “that don’t belong in a city of rights.”
On Dec. 12, 2023, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Sheinbaum shared on X an image along with commentary stating her strong desire “to strengthen the rights of sexually diverse people.”
“My dream is to continue to fight for sexually diverse people as I did in Mexico City,” she said.
Sheinbaum’s relationship with the Catholic Church
Both Sheinbaum and her top rival, Xóchitl Gálvez, met in February in individual private audiences with Pope Francis.
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Sheinbaum announced through her social media that her meeting “was an exceptional hour that I will never forget, with a simple and warm way that shows his greatness.”
“In addition to being the highest representative of the Catholic Church, the religion of the vast majority of my people, I have profound admiration for his humanist thinking,” the candidate added.
In addition, while she was campaigning, Sheinbaum met twice with the country’s bishops.
The first meeting was in March to sign the National Commitment for Peace, an initiative proposed by the Catholic Church to address the growing violence in the nation. The second meeting was in April in connection with the 116th Plenary Assembly of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference.
On the latter occasion, the candidate expressed her “desire to maintain good relations with the churches and, especially with the Catholic Church, with which she agrees on many points, especially with the thinking of Pope Francis.”
In the final weeks of the election campaign, rumors circulated that, if she won the election, Sheinbaum would close Catholic churches, including the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.