Xóchitl Gálvez

Bertha Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz (Spanish: [ˈsotʃitl]; born 22 February 1963) is a Mexican computer engineer, businesswoman and politician. From 2015 to 2018 she served as mayor of the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City. Since 2018, she has served as a senator in the LXIV Legislature of the Mexican Congress. As senator she caucuses with the center-right National Action Party, but often adheres to progressive politics on social issues such as abortion, drug policies and social spending. She completed her studies in computer engineering at UNAM's School of Engineering.[1] In 2023, she was named the candidate of the Broad Front for Mexico for the 2024 Mexican presidential election.[2]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gálvez and the second or maternal family name is Ruiz.
Xóchitl Gálvez
Gálvez in 2020
Senator of the Congress of the Union
National List
Assumed office
1 September 2018
Mayor of Miguel Hidalgo
In office
1 October 2015 – 15 March 2018
Preceded byVíctor Hugo Romo de Vivar Guerra
Succeeded byJosé David Rodríguez Lara
General director of National Institute of Indigenous Peoples
In office
21 May 2003 – 14 December 2006
PresidentVicente Fox Quesada
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byLuis H. Álvarez
Personal details
Born
Bertha Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz

(1963-02-22) 22 February 1963
Tepatepec, Hidalgo, Mexico
Political partyNational Action Party
Other political
affiliations		Party of Democratic Revolution (in 2021)
OccupationPolitician

Early years

Gálvez was born on 22 February 1963 in the town of Tepatepec, Hidalgo, to an Otomi father and a mestizo mother, also of partial Otomi ancestry. She claims that, as a child, she sold desserts at the local market to support her education and family.[3] She moved to Mexico City to study computer engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), first working as a call center agent and later earning a position as a research assistant at UNAM's College of Engineering.[4] She would obtain her degree in Computer Engineering in 2010, as per the information in the National Registry of Professionals (Registro Nacional de Profesionistas). A few years into her computer engineering degree, she started working as a programmer and later as a systems analyst at the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI). She was also director of telecommunications at the Mexico City World Trade Center.[5]

From 2000 to 2006, she was head of the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, during the administration of Vicente Fox.[6]

In the 2010 Hidalgo state elections, she was a candidate for governor of the state for the "Hidalgo Unites Us" coalition, made up of the National Action Party (PAN), the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), the Labor Party (PT) and Convergencia.[7] Gálvez came in second place, with 47% of the votes in her favor.[8]

Businesses and philanthropy

In 1992 she founded the company High Tech Services, dedicated to the development of technology projects aimed at designing intelligent buildings, energy savings, process automation, security and telecommunications. She was also founder and CEO of the OMEI company, dedicated to the operation and maintenance of intelligent infrastructures.[9]

She won the Sé Líder Foundation award, the Zazil award in the social and humanitarian area, the recognition of "Commitment to Others" granted by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy and the "Pericles Medal", awarded by the Museo Amparo of Puebla for social merit.[4]

In 1999, she was recognized by the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, as one of the "100 Global Leaders of the World's Future".[10] In 2000, Business Week magazine named her one of the 25 Latin American's New Business Elite.[4] With the profits from her companies, in 1995 she created the Porvenir Foundation, which is dedicated to combating child malnutrition and helping women in indigenous areas.[11] For this reason she was invited by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to participate at the Social Forum of Porto Alegre.[12]

Political career

Mayor of Miguel Hidalgo

In the 2015 Federal District elections, Gálvez was the National Action Party's candidate for the Miguel Hidalgo borough mayor. She won the elections with 32% of the vote[13] and served from 1 October 2015 to 15 March 2018.[14]

Senator of the Republic

In the 2018 federal elections, Gálvez competed in the Senate race for Mexico City for the "Por México al Frente" coalition in conjunction with Emilio Álvarez Icaza. In addition, on the national list, she was nominated for a Senate seat by the Party of the Democratic Revolution.[15] She failed to win the Mexico City seat but was elected to the Senate by proportional representation.[16] Since 1 September 2018, she has been a member of the LXIV legislature of the Congress of the Union as a member of the National Action Party.[17]

On 29 April 2021, Gálvez announced she was switching from the National Action Party to the Party of the Democratic Revolution to guarantee that the party complies with the requirement of having at least five representatives in the Senate in order to be considered a parliamentary group.[18][19]

2024 presidential candidacy

In mid 2023, both Morena and the Frente Amplio por México ("Broad Front for Mexico", Va por México's successor)[20] began processes to select the persons responsible for "coordinating" each of their respective coalitions, who will become the presidential candidate for their respective coalition[20][21] once they are able to legally label them so.[22] Although she originally sought to become Mayor of Mexico City, in late June she announced her intention to compete for the presidency in the 2024 general election.[23] She quickly become a favorite in opinion polls amongst opposition candidates, leading to attacks and accusations from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).[24] On 30 August 2023, she was confirmed as the Broad Front's "coalition coordinator" (i.e. future presidential candidate).[25]

López Obrador has made frequent references to her in his morning press conferences, including allusions to supposed irregularities in her companies' contracts.[26] He also divulged confidential information regarding the tax returns of her private companies and the various entities with which they conduct business.[27][28] These, and other references, have resulted in orders from the National Electoral Institute (INE) prohibiting López Obrador from commenting on the 2024 elections.[29] This perceived harassment ultimately led Gálvez to seek constitutional protection against his actions; however, this protection has not yet been enforced.[30]

References
  1. Vera, Felipe (29 August 2023). "Esta es la carrera que estudió Xóchitl Gálvez en la UNAM y las especialidades que tiene" [This is the career Xóchitl Gálvez studied at the UNAM and also her specializations]. Azteca Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  2. Wright, George (31 August 2023). "Xóchitl Gálvez: Mexican opposition pick female election candidate". BBC News. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  3. Zepeda Patterson, Jorge (28 June 2023). "Xóchitl Gálvez y sus posibilidades de ser presidenta" [Xóchitl Gálvez and her chances to become president]. El País México (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  4. "#EnFotos: La trayectoria de Xóchitl Gálvez, aspirante de la oposición a la Presidencia en 2024". ADNPolítico (in Spanish). 28 June 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  5. "Punto y Aparte | Xóchitl, ¿candidata a CDMX o Presidencial?". El Heraldo de Tabasco | Noticias Locales, Policiacas, sobre México, Tabasco y el Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  6. Jessica Corona (8 June 2015). "¿Quién es Xóchitl Gálvez?". Milenio. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  7. "Xóchitl Gálvez ratifica su registro como candidata a gobernadora de Hidalgo". Proceso. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  8. Instituto Estatal Electoral de Hidalgo (2010). "Resultados electorales. Elección gobernador" (PDF). Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  9. Isidoro, Arturo Reyes (22 June 2023). "Xóchitl Gálvez, "una luz de esperanza" - Periodico Veraz". periodicoveraz.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  10. "Xóchitl Gálvez, la opositora que enfrenta a López Obrador en su carrera por la presidencia". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). 27 June 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  11. "Xochitl Gálvez Ruiz - Desarrollo Humano". www.diputados.gob.mx. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  12. 4T cancela contrato a empresa de Xóchitl Gálvez, retrieved 9 August 2023
  13. Instituto Electoral del Distrito Federal (2015). "Estadística de las elecciones locales 2015. Resultados" (PDF). Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  14. "Xóchitl Gálvez dice adiós a la Miguel Hidalgo y se alista para buscar el Senado". Expansión. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  15. "Tribunal avala candidatura de Xóchitl Gálvez al Senado". Milenio. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  16. "Estos son los 32 políticos que llegarán como 'pluris' al Senado". Excélsior. 7 July 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  17. Senado de la República (2018). "Senadora Bertha Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz". Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  18. "Xóchitl Gálvez deja al PAN para unirse a las filas del PRD; "no soy camaleónica", afirma". El Sol de México. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  19. García, Carina (29 April 2021). "Xóchitl Gálvez deja el PAN para sumarse a la bancada del PRD en el Senado" [Xóchitl Gálvez leaves the PAN to join the PRD political group in the Senate]. Expasión (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  20. Monroy, Jorge; Lugo, Eric (26 June 2023). "Frente Amplio por México arrancará el 4 de julio la búsqueda de su aspirante presidencial". El Economista. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  21. "Coordinador de Defensa de la 4T, la figura con la que Morena adelanta precampaña". ADNPolítico (in Spanish). 13 June 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  22. "Ante-precampaña, el método con el que Morena "burla" leyes y la Constitución". ADNPolítico (in Spanish). 15 June 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  23. "Xóchitl Gálvez se 'anota' para competir por la Presidencia... si no hay 'dedazo' en la oposición". El Financiero (in Spanish). 26 June 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  24. Páramo, Arturo (18 July 2023). "López Obrador asegura que "inflan" a Xóchitl Gálvez en encuestas". Excélsior (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  25. "Mexico opposition picks businesswoman Galvez as presidential candidate". RFI. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  26. "¿Autogol? AMLO exhibe contratos de empresas de Xóchitl Gálvez con Gobierno de México... durante su sexenio". El Financiero (in Spanish). 14 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  27. "AMLO suelta su 'furia' contra Xóchitl: difunde ingresos privados de ella y familiares". Radio Fórmula (in Mexican Spanish). 14 July 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  28. "Xóchitl Gálvez demanda a AMLO por revelar datos confidenciales de su empresa en la mañanera". animalpolitico.com. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  29. "AMLO dice que acatará medidas del INE, pero arremete otra vez contra Xóchitl". ADNPolítico (in Spanish). 17 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  30. "Xóchitl Gálvez tramita amparo contra dichos de AMLO". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.