MEXICO CITY – The groping of Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum on a downtown street shone a bright light on the gender violence women face every day, but the country’s political polarization has tarnished what under other circumstances would seem a natural moment for national solidarity, analysts say.

The president has tried to use the assault to send a clear message that such behavior is not acceptable. She has explained why she decided to press charges against the drunk man; she used her bully pulpit to pressure the remaining states that don’t have sexual harassment on the books as a crime; and she talked about the need to make it easier for women to report such crimes.

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But almost immediately political opponents accused her of using the incident to distract from

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