Claudia Sheinbaum takes office as Mexico’s president

Claudia Sheinbaum succeeded Andrés Manuel López Obrador as Mexico’s president on Tuesday.

The former mayor of Mexico City faces a full in-tray: Under AMLO, the country’s deficit tripled to almost 6%, while the number of people without health coverage more than doubled to over 50 million.

Economic growth slowed to an average of just 1% during his term, significantly below its Latin American peers, while drug gangs expanded to control as much as a third of Mexico’s territory.

Experts question whether Sheinbaum will have the independence required to stray from AMLO’s agenda in order to address the country’s shortcomings. As president, she will have to navigate these obstacles “under the shadow of her political mentor,” the Financial Times reported.