“There will be no impunity”: Sheinbaum responds to more than 500 complaints in the Armed Forces
The scene is familiar: a press room, uncomfortable questions and a president who must answer for the most secretive institutions in the country. This time, the topic is them. The women who wear uniforms and who, according to reports, have filed more than 500 complaints for alleged abusesince 2012 within the Army.
Claudia Sheinbaum did not dodge the blow. He approached it with a ready-made script: research, review, and the promise of reliable mechanisms. But in this political theater, words must become deeds. And the facts, so far, paint a bleak picture.
“A soldier is not only judged by his own law, but is handed over to the Attorney General’s Office when appropriate,” said the president.
It is the official line: the double track. Internal process and delivery to civil justice when the crime warrants it. Sheinbaum insisted that he has asked the Army and Navy to reinforce the areas that handle these complaints. The stated goal is clear: to create a safe environment for their “female peers” to speak.
But here is the crux of the matter. Does that environment really exist? The figures suggest a different reality. Half a thousand complaints in a decade speak of a structural problem, not isolated cases.
The president put a recent example on the table: an officer arrested in Colima. He used it as proof that his administration is acting. “There are ongoing investigations and people detained,” he assured, flatly rejecting the idea of institutional impunity.
His speech appeals to protection. To guarantee security to those who “give their lives to support the people.” It is a powerful message, emotional even. However, for the hundreds of women behind each complaint, what counts is not the speech, but whether someone finally listens to them.
The challenge for Sheinbaum is monumental. He must navigate between military loyalty and the social demand for justice. He promised to review each case. Now citizens wait to see the results. Because in this national drama, the victims no longer want to be supporting actresses.
