Mexican authorities have arrested a man after he sexually assaulted the President, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Thursday. The president said she had filed charges against the alleged molester. She said she was walking near the presidential palace when the incident took place. The incident has sparked debates about women's safety in Mexico. The man tried to grop and kiss her.
A widely circulated video shows a man approaching her from behind before putting his arm around her shoulder. Her security team then intervened and removed the man, who appeared to be drunk.
"This person approached me completely drunk— I don't know if he was on drugs," the President said on Wednesday morning.
"It wasn't until I saw the videos that I realised what had really happened."
During a press conference late on Wednesday, she said charges had been pressed against the man after she learnt that he had kept on harassing other women.
"No man has the right to violate that space," she asserted.
"My view is, if I don't file a complaint, what will happen to other Mexican women? If they do this to the President, what will happen to all women in our country?", Sheinbaum said.
The incident has also highlighted "macho" attitudes in Mexico, where the UN estimates that 70 per cent of women aged 15 and older have been sexually harassed at least once.
The UN, citing Mexican government data, reports that partners or relatives kill around 10 women and girls every day.
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