The Chamber of Deputies, normally a stage for shouts, applause, and heated exchanges, became a place of absolute silence and collective terror this afternoon. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, 63, collapsed on the podium while delivering a passionate speech defending the energy and security reforms that have marked the first year of her administration.
The moment, captured by official cameras and dozens of cell phones in the chamber, lasted a mere 12 seconds, but it has left the entire country holding its breath.
It was 4:47 p.m. when it happened. Sheinbaum was vehemently defending the continuation of the “hugs, not bullets” security strategy and energy sovereignty in the face of criticism from the opposition. “We are not going to hand over PEMEX or CFE to foreign interests,” she was saying with her characteristic firmness, when suddenly her voice broke, her left hand went to her chest, and her body doubled over. She fell to her knees on the podium, then collapsed completely. The microphone amplified the dull thud against the wood. The chamber froze.
In a matter of seconds, organized chaos took over. Members of the Presidential Guard, who always protect the president, rushed to the podium. Two doctors from the presidential health team knelt beside her, checked her pulse, and placed an oxygen mask on her. Deputies from Morena and the opposition rose simultaneously; some shouted “Doctor!”, others remained motionless, as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Representative Marcela Guerra (PRI), declared an immediate recess and ordered a partial evacuation of the chamber.
Sheinbaum was carried on a stretcher down the central aisle of the Legislative Palace to an ambulance waiting at the entrance on Allende Street. The journey to the Central Military Hospital took just 11 minutes thanks to the emergency operation activated in record time. Hours later, the Ministry of Health and the President’s Office issued a joint statement:
“President Claudia Sheinbaum suffered an episode of severe hypotension followed by fainting during this afternoon’s session. She was immediately attended to by specialized medical personnel and transferred to the Central Military Hospital, where she is stable and under observation. Preliminary studies rule out an acute cardiovascular event; it appears to be a case of extreme physical exhaustion aggravated by prolonged stress and dehydration. The president remains conscious and is recovering satisfactorily. Her public activities are suspended indefinitely until further medical notice.”
FuerzaClaudia and #ClaudiaSeCayó became the number one trending topics in Mexico and several Latin American countries in less than 20 minutes. Thousands of Mexicans took to the streets in front of the National Palace with candles and signs: “Claudia, Mexico needs you strong!” Hundreds of people spontaneously gathered in the Zócalo, many crying, others praying aloud. The image of the president collapsing immediately went viral, but it also generated an unexpected wave of solidarity, even among sectors that have traditionally criticized her.
Claudia Sheinbaum assumed the presidency on October 1, 2024, as the first woman in Mexican history to hold the office. Since then, she has faced a daunting agenda: the continuation of the so-called Fourth Transformation, the implementation of the judicial reform approved in September 2024, the fight against organized crime in key states such as Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Sinaloa, the migration crisis on the southern border, the historic drought affecting 70% of the national territory, and ongoing negotiations with the United States regarding the USMCA trade agreement and migration.
In addition, she has had to contend with an increasingly aggressive opposition, an economy growing below expectations, and persistent inflation that is hitting the middle and lower classes hard.
Sources close to the National Palace confirm that Sheinbaum has been working 18- to 20-hour days since taking office. She sleeps an average of four hours a night, eats little, and has canceled almost all of her personal days off. “Claudia doesn’t know how to say no,” confessed a close associate on condition of anonymity. “She believes that if she stops for even a second, the project will collapse. She’s been working herself to the bone since last December.”
Source: lux.vietwedding
