The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, met this Thursday with leaders of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) in the Historic Center of Mexico City, where the president handed the “baton of command” of his political movement to Claudia Sheinbaum, designated, a day earlier, as the party’s presidential candidate for the June 2024 elections.
Returning to a ritual of the indigenous Mexican people, López Obrador handed over the baton to Sheinbaum, in what was a mass bath, outside a restaurant – because it was not an official act – a few steps from the capital’s Zócalo, the most important public and political square in the country.
In indigenous ceremonies, the staff, carved in wood, It is the symbol with which the new leader will lead the people. In this case, López Obrador gave that “power” to Sheinbaum as the Defense Coordinator of the Fourth Transformation, López Obrador’s movement.
“I take this baton of command with pride, commitment and humility, but with the full responsibility of continuing the course set by our people, that of the transformation that President López Obrador has initiated, we will rise to the occasion (. ..) I will never betray the desire to continue building an even more just and democratic Mexico,” said Sheinbaum.
López Obrador and Sheinbaum were accompanied by heads of different agencies of the federal cabinet and by governors of the Morena party.
This Thursday, López Obrador congratulated Sheinbaum in his morning conference, who on Wednesday night triumphed in Morena’s internal process to define, through a survey of 12,500 people, the presidential candidacy for 2024.
“As I supported from the beginning, I support Claudia Sheinbaum (because she won the internal process) (…) I’m going to finish as a leader, Today I am no longer the leader of the transformation movement in Mexicoand I am going to hand over the baton of command,” declared the president.
The former mayor of Mexico City obtained 39.4% of the preferences in the survey by the Commission of the Center for Statistical and Social Studies of the party, surpassing her closest rival, former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who obtained 25%. .6%.
They were followed by the deputy with a license from the Labor Party (PT) Gerardo Fernández Noroña (12.2%), the former Secretary of the Interior Adán Augusto López (10%), the former leader of the Morena senators Ricardo Monreal (6.5%) and the senator with a license from the Green Party (PVEM) Manuel Velasco 6.3%.
“I know Claudia very well and I am very calm because I know that there will be continuity with change. It is a guarantee that continuity will be given to the transformation, she is also an honest woman, with principles, with ideals, very well prepared and with experience,” said the president.
“She is a woman with convictions, with principles, honest, so I can be calm,” he added.
Although López Obrador’s administration ends on October 1, 2024, the president clarified that the “baton of command” refers to the leadership of his movementwhich he baptized as “the fourth transformation.”
Sheinbaum led the polls from start to finish, but his victory was marred by accusations from Ebrard, who hours before the announcement demanded to repeat the internal process due to an excess of “incidents.”
SUPPORTERS COME
Under the shout of “It’s an honor to be with Claudia today!”, supporters of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador arrived around the “El Mayor” restaurant, in the Historic Center of Mexico City where the federal President is expected to deliver the baton of command of the coordination of the fourth transformation this Thursday night.
Presidency personnel placed fences in the vicinity of the restaurant located next to the Templo Mayor.
Neither Morena nor Sheinbaum’s team have confirmed that the event will indeed take place at the restaurant, where initially The guidelines of the contest between corcholatas were agreed with President López Obrador.
Between cheers, balloons and joy, Morena supporters waited for the arrival of the candidate of Morena and related parties for the 2024 election.
With white flags, supporters of the group “4 de Diciembre”, from Xochimilco, supported by Claudia Sheinbaum, arrived.
“Neither the rain, nor the wind, stops the movement,” supporters say when the rain begins in the first square of the Historic Center.
Supporters of Morena continued outside the “El Mayor” restaurant, despite the rain. Some pointed out that they let them pass “we are also women.”
