Man touches Mexican president while she speaks with citizens in Mexico City streets

MEXICO CITY — While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke with citizens in the street in Mexico City’s historic downtown Tuesday, a man who appeared to be inebriated stepped up behind her and touched her before a government official intervened.

In a video circulating widely on social platforms, the man appeared to lean in for a kiss and touch the president’s body with his hands. She gently pushed his hands away, maintaining a stiff smile as she turned to face him. She could be heard to say in part, “Don’t worry.”

The president’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the incident.

Sheinbaum, like her predecessor and political mentor ex- President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, tries to maintain a connection with the people, frequently diving into crowds for selfies and handshakes.

Her security detail was not immediately visible in the close shot video Tuesday.

It was an unnerving scene in a week when Sheinbaum has repeatedly had to address questions about political violence following the public assassination of a mayor in western Michoacan state. On Tuesday, Sheinbaum met with the mayor's widow.