Manipulated photo of Mexico's new president plays into antisemitic stereotypes | Fact check
Andre ByikThe claim: Image shows unedited photo of Mexico's president-elect
A June 4 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a photograph of Claudia Sheinbaum, who has been elected Mexico's first female president, walking with a hunched back.
Text on the image reads, "Next president of Mexico. Thoughts? The picture is unedited."
The post was liked more than 1,000 times in five days.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: Altered
The image is altered. Sheinbaum's appearance was digitally edited to play into antisemitic stereotypes.
Original photo from 2019 press conference
Mexicans elected Sheinbaum, a scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, on June 2, USA TODAY reported. She is the first person of Jewish descent to lead the predominantly Catholic country.
But while the photo in the Instagram post shows Sheinbaum, her posture and face have been digitally manipulated to give her a prominent hunched back and exaggerated facial features.
Fact check: False claim US wants to invade Mexico; countries are longtime allies
The original photo was taken by a photographer for the Mexico City photo agency Cuartoscuro. It shows Sheinbaum, who was mayor at the time, at a press conference on Feb. 20, 2019.
Some social media users linked the altered photo to the antisemitic "Happy Merchant" meme, which the Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee identify as a common online hate symbol.
The Instagram user who shared the image did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Our fact-check sources:
- Milenio, Feb. 20, 2019, CdMx impulsará programas con la UNAM
- Cuartoscuro, Feb. 20, 2019, Sheinbaum Transporte
- USA TODAY, June 3, Mexico elects first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum declared winner in historic election
- Anti-Defamation League, accessed June 10, The Happy Merchant
- American Jewish Committee, accessed June 10, Smirking merchant
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.