Xóchitl Gálvez and the strategy of not knowing how to lose

On Sunday, Mexicans elected the first female president in the country’s history. That option was a fact even before the vote, since two women were competing for victory. Claudia Sheinbaum did not limit herself to winning, but she swept with an unprecedented result that exceeds by five million votes the one achieved by her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This scenario had also been announced for months by all the rigorous surveys, without exception, and anticipated by a climate that was breathed outside the bubbles. However, after the polls closed, the noise began, as always amplified by social networks. At no time did its effects seriously cloud election night; Rather, they led to an outrageous narrative in which the opposition’s messages clashed with forecasts and, above all, with facts. That is, with scrutiny. The purpose, even without handles, was simple and consisted of sowing doubts about Sheinbaum, former head of government of Mexico City, left-wing politician and scientist. And her opponent, Xóchitl Gálvez, standard bearer of the alliance of traditional forces (PRI, PAN and PRD), was the main person in charge of spreading this species.

“Don’t sleep today! Stay alert and awake,” Gálvez launched in his X profile after half past ten at night. At that time, the National Electoral Institute (INE) had already twice delayed the release of the quick count, a projection with hardly any margin of error, which is common in all elections. A few minutes passed and the opposition candidate continued: “The votes are there. Let’s not allow them to hide them.” There were two more messages along those lines, with thousands of replicas on Elon Musk’s social network. First, he insisted: “They want you to go to sleep believing they beat you. They lie as always.” And then she continued with the publication of the photo of her electoral results, where she was the winner by a large majority. Gálvez actually lost by more than 30 points against his rival from Morena.