Mexico Invites Russian President To Inauguration Of Its First Woman President Claudia Sheinbaum Despite Arrest Warrant

Mexico has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the inauguration of President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum on October 1. This invitation comes despite an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Putin.

What Happened: A Reuters report on Friday stated that Russia’s Izvestia newspaper had received confirmation of the invitation from Mexico’s embassy in Russia. “Russia’s invitation to take part in the inauguration of President Sheinbaum was sent to President Putin,” a representative of the Mexican embassy revealed.

It remains unclear whether Putin will personally attend the ceremony or send a high-ranking official on his behalf. The Mexican foreign ministry has redirected inquiries to Sheinbaum’s team, which has not yet issued a response.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023, accusing him of war crimes related to the illegal deportation of hundreds of children from Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Despite Russia not being an ICC member, Mexico is.

Interestingly, Mexico and Russia have been fortifying their relationship recently. Putin congratulated Sheinbaum on her June victory, referring to Mexico as Russia’s “historically friendly partner in Latin America.” A Russian military unit even participated in a parade marking Mexico’s independence day in September 2023, a move that sparked controversy.

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Why It Matters: Sheinbaum, the first woman to be elected as Mexico’s president, has a significant academic background in physics and energy engineering. She previously served as the mayor of Mexico City and contributed to a United Nations climate panel that won a Nobel Peace Prize.

Following Sheinbaum’s victory in the presidential election, the Mexican Peso experienced its worst single-day performance in four years. The IPC, the main index of Mexico’s stock market, also closed 0.3% lower.

Sheinbaum, who secured between 58.3% and 60.7% of the vote, faces persistent challenges such as drug cartels, border issues, and repairing relations with the US. Her invitation to Putin amidst an ICC arrest warrant could be seen as a significant diplomatic move in this context.

Photo by Jorge Aguilar on Unsplash

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal