Tomorrow, the second of June, Mexico will choose a new president. This is the extraordinary story of Mexico’s new president-hopeful: Xóchitl, which in Nahuatl means flower with twenty petals. Or, the flower of rebirth.
Xóchitl Gálvez has arrived with all the statistics against her, since the polls have already given the victory to the official candidate of the Morena party, led by López Obrador himself. However, Xóchitl, like Mexico, has shown a lot of resilience, that is, the ability to be reborn and adapt in the face of adverse circumstances. Whatever the result of Sunday’s election, Mexico will have its first female president of the republic. We hope it will be Xóchitl.
Xóchitl is of indigenous origin from a small town in the state of Hidalgo, outside the spheres of influence. Xóchitl has been named by the Financial Times as a friend of the West. In her campaign she has rescued 3 values for Mexicans: namely, life, truth and freedom.
Xóchitl Gálvez does not see herself as a woman of political parties, but rather considers herself almost an activist. She is a successful businesswoman whom life has led to leadership positions both within the State as well as the private sector.
In her statements to the media, Xóchitl claims that she did not understand computing, and that she had never seen a computer before. But her ability for mathematics took her to the UNAM engineering faculty, where she graduated as a computer engineer and then specialized in AI. She implemented that knowledge when creating her company in the construction of smart buildings.
Xóchitl comes from a very poor home. As a young girl, she had to work to help support her mother and siblings. Her father, although he was a teacher, had problems with alcoholism and aggression towards her mother and the rest of the family. The girl sold tamales and such in the town while excelling in school and college in unusual subjects. Xóchitl won awards and recognitions, and of course, teachers always help when they see an intelligent girl.
From 2015-2018, Xóchitl served as mayor of the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City. Then from 2018 to 2023, she was a senator in the Mexican Congress. However, in all the twists in her life's plot, life had other bigger plans for her. Much bigger. Huge perhaps but not impossible to assume. Although vital as a mission.
One day a year and a half ago, Xóchitl was looking for a door to be opened, and she went to speak directly with the president, personally knocking on his door. He never opened it. As fate would have it, citizens soon after called on her to be the opposition presidential candidate. She knew that it’s a hard fight, with all the polls and the State machinery against her.
She thought about it. But not so long, it would seem. She accepted the challenge. It is strange that I have not heard her say that as a child she already knew that she would be the first president of the great country of Mexico. She doesn't say it. On the contrary, she says no, it never occurred to her 44 years ago when she left her town that she might come to occupy the highest office in the country.
Her battle has been an uphill climb with many inflections along the way. Moments when it seemed that her coalition of parties, “Fuerza y corazón por México,” would not achieve success. However, she is a great speaker, a great communicator, and has a strange magnetism with people. She likes people, and she moves very well in humble environments with her own people, we could say, as well as in high places. She is very skilled, perhaps more political than everyone else.
The challenges of governing Mexico are gigantic. Gigantic. I’m sure Xóchitl is up to the task.
We’ll see what Sunday’s election brings.
