Enrique Peña Nieto
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/presidentsofmexico/p/Biography-Of-Enrique-Pe-na-Nieto.htm
Enrique Peña Nieto (July 20, 1966-) is a Mexican lawyer and
politician. A member of the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), he is the
current President of Mexico (elected in 2012).
Enrique Peña Nieto got an early start on his political
career. He was a community organizer while still in his early 20’s and has
maintained a presence in politics ever since. In 1999, he worked on the
campaign team of Arturo Montiel Rojas, who was elected Governor of Mexico
State. Montiel rewarded him with the position of Administrative Secretary. Peña
Nieto was elected to replace Montiel in 2005 as Governor of Mexico State,
serving from 2005-2011. In 2011 he won the PRI Presidential nomination and
immediately became the front runner for the 2012 elections.
2012 Presidential Election:
Peña had been a well-liked governor: he had delivered
popular public works for the State of Mexico during his administration.
His popularity, combined with his movie-star good looks, made him the early
favorite in the election. His main opponents were leftist Andres Manuel López
Obrador of the Party of the Democratic Revolution and Josefina Vázquez Mota of
the conservative National Action Party. Peña ran on a platform of security and
economic growth and overcame his party's past reputation for corruption in
winning the election. A record turnout of 63% of eligible voters chose Peña
(38% of the vote) over López Obrador (32%) and Vázquez (25%). Opposing parties
claimed several campaign violations by the PRI, including vote-buying and
receiving extra media exposure, but the results stood. Peña took office on
December 1, 2012, replacing outgoing President Felipe Calderón.
Personal Life:
Peña's father Severiano Peña was Mayor of the town of Acambay in the State of Mexico and other relatives have
gone far in politics as well. He married Mónica Pretelini in 1993: she died
suddenly in 2007, leaving him three children. He remarried in 2010 in a
"fairytale" wedding to Mexican telenovelas star Angelica Rivera. He
had a child out of wedlock in 2005: his attention to this child (or lack
thereof) has been a persistent scandal.
Public Perception:
Although he was elected easily and most polls suggest a
decent approval rating, some find Peña Nieto to be difficult to get a read on.
One of his worst public gaffes came at a book fair, where he claimed to be a
big fan of the popular novel "The Eagle's Throne" but when pressed
could not name the author. This was a serious blunder, because the the book was
written by the prestigious Carlos Fuentes, one of Mexico's most celebrated novelists.
Others find Peña Nieto to be robotic and far too slick: he has often been
compared to American politician John Edwards (and not in a good way). The
notion (correct or not) that he is a stuffed shirt also raises concerns due to
the PRI party's notoriously corrupt past.
Challenges for Peña Nieto's Administration:
President Peña takes control of Mexico during a troubled time. His
biggest challenge will be fighting the drug lords that control much of Mexico.
Powerful cartels with private armies of professional soldiers make billions
trafficking drugs every year: they are ruthless and do not hesitate to murder
policemen, judges, journalists, politicians or anyone else who challenges them.
Felipe Calderón, Peña’s predecessor as President, declared all-out war on the
cartels, kicking over a hornet’s nest of death and mayhem. How vigorously Peña
will go after the cartels has been the subject of much speculation. Mexico’s
economy took a huge hit during the international crisis of 2009, and although
it is recovering, the economy is very important to Mexican voters. President
Peña is friendly with the USA
and has stated that he wants to maintain and strengthen economic ties with his
neighbor to the north.