Mexico City’s new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing

Mexico City’s new left-wing mayor took office Saturday with a pledge to defend women’s rights, tackle water shortages and address gentrification in the capital, home to more than nine million people.

Clara Brugada, a member of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party, was elected in June to what is one of the country’s most important political posts.

“I’m a feminist who has always fought for full equality, and I want this capital to be in the vanguard of women’s rights,” the 61-year-old said in her inaugural speech.

“The safety of people and especially women will be our priority,” she said, promising to ensure more police, use intelligence to fight crime and address the root causes of insecurity.

To tackle water shortages that frequently afflict the city, Brugada said her administration would repair leaks and use rainwater to replenish the aquifer “so that no one lacks water.”

She pledged to prevent forced evictions and prioritize rental housing for young people with the option to buy.

“We all have to organize ourselves to curb gentrification in Mexico City,” said the mayor, who has a degree in economics.

Brugada previously served three terms as mayor of the densely populated Mexico City district of Iztapalapa, and the ruling party has touted the benefits of social projects she oversaw there.

“A public servant trained in community work, living in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, today assumes the leadership of this great city’s government,” she said.

Since 1997, when the capital’s mayor began to be elected by popular vote, the left has always held the post, which has become a stepping stone to the presidency.

Both Sheinbaum, the first woman to lead the Latin American nation, and her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador are former Mexico City mayors.