Enrique Peña Nieto

Not to be confused with Enrique Nieto (disambiguation).
Enrique Peña Nieto
Enrique Peña Nieto at the World Economic Forum on Latin America, April 2010
Governor of the State of Mexico
In office
September 16, 2005 – September 15, 2011
Preceded by Arturo Montiel
Succeeded by Eruviel Ávila Villegas
Personal details
Born July 20, 1966 (1966-07-20) (age 45)
Atlacomulco, State of Mexico
Political party Institutional Revolutionary Party
Spouse(s) Mónica Pretelini Sáenz † (1993 to 2007),
Angélica Rivera
Children Paulina
Alejandro
Nicole
Alma mater Universidad Panamericana
Profession Lawyer
Religion Roman Catholic

Enrique Peña Nieto (born July 20, 1966) is a Mexican politician. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI), he served as governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to 2011. On September 19, 2011, he announced his candidacy in the 2012 Mexican presidential election to succeed Felipe Calderón.[1] and he formally registered his candidacy on November 27, 2011.[2]

Contents

Family

Peña was born at Atlacomulco in Mexico State.[3] His father, Gilberto Enrique Peña del Mazo, worked for the Comisión Federal de Electricidad and his mother, María del Perpetuo Socorro Ofelia Nieto Sánchez, was a school teacher. Peña is related to several politicians: Severiano Peña, mayor of Acambay in 1914, 1916, 1921 and 1923; Alfredo del Mazo González, former governor; and Arturo Montiel Rojas, also former governor. In 1993, Peña married his first wife Mónica Pretelini with whom he had three children: Paulina, Alejandro and Nicole. Pretelini died on January 11, 2007 due to an epileptic episode.[4][5][6] In 2008, Peña Nieto announced publicly in a TV show [7] his romantic relationship with Televisa soap opera actress Angélica Rivera. Rivera and Peña Nieto married on November 27, 2010 in Toluca.

Education

During an interview published in Mexican Leaders magazine, Peña Nieto relates how he participated in his first political exercises as a junior in high school when he served as representative for his class during public ceremonies. However, his formal training and first incursions in state politics would wait until the end of his studies.[8]

Peña Nieto has a Bachelor's degree from the Universidad Panamericana and a Master's in Business at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.

Political beginnings

In May 1990 he became secretary of the Citizen Movement of Zone I of the State Directive Committee of the National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP). A year later he participated as delegate to the Organization and Citizen Front in different municipalities of the Estado de México. He also served as instructor at the Electoral Training Center of the PRI. During this time Peña Nieto also held administrative positions in the state government. Between 1993 and 1998, during Emilio Chuayfett’s term as governor, he was chief of staff for the Secretary of economic development of the State of Mexico. At the end of this period he worked as deputy secretary of government for the State of Mexico (1999–2000).[9]

During the period between 2000 and 2002 Peña Nieto exercised different tasks for the state's administration: government administration secretary, president of the directive council for the Social Security Institute of the State of Mexico and its municipalities, president of the internal council of the Health Institute of the State of Mexico and vice-president for the State of Mexico’s government board for the Integral Family Development System (DIF). In the meantime he was individual member of the National Institute of Public Administration and member of the administrative council for different decentralized public agencies.

Local council and his run for Mexico State’s governorship

His work as a state functionary and within his party helped Peña Nieto build his political career and his subsequent move into electoral positions. As a member of the PRI's National and State Political Council and delegate to the PRI's XVIII General Assembly in 2001, Peña Nieto was nominated for the local representative spot for the XIII District in the LV Legislature and he won the election.

Between September 2003 and September 2004 he was named coordinator of the PRI's parliamentary group in the LV Legislature and as Chairman of the Board of Political Coordination of the local congress. According to the book Enrique Peña Nieto, Memory of a campaign,[10] Peña Nieto was able to get 92% of his initiatives approved unanimously.

On October 17, 2004, he officially began his participation in the PRI's internal nomination process for the governorship of the State of Mexico. The other candidates considered for the governorship were: Guillermo González Martínez, Gustavo Cárdenas Monroy, Jaime Vázquez Castillo, Eduardo Bernal Martínez, Fernando Alberto García Cuevas, Cuauhtémoc García Ortega, Isidro Pastor Medrano, Enrique Jacob Rocha, Héctor Luna de la Vega and Carlos Hank Rhon. These pre-candidates took part in conferences, seminars, round tables, and tours, whittling the original list to only six candidates participating in the official nomination process. On January 14, 2005, Peña Nieto was the last man standing. On February 12, 2005, with 15,000 sympathizers in attendance, he was sworn in as candidate for the PRI.[11]

The PRI and the Green Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de México, PVEM) established an alliance which they claimed was to defend mutual policies of sustainable development, ecology, employment and support for youth. This alliance would nominate just one candidate. This coalition, dubbed “Alliance for Mexico” (PRI-PVEM), was approved by the Electoral Institute of the State of Mexico in March. On April 2, in Cuautitlán Izcalli, Peña Nieto was sworn in as candidate for the PVEM. On the 15th the general council of the Electoral Institute of the State of Mexico (IFE) approved his registration as candidate.[10]

During this time other political parties announced the names of their respective candidates. National Action Party and Convergence for democracy (Convergencia Democrática, CD) (PAN) -Convergencia united behind candidate Rubén Mendoza Ayala. The Democratic Revolution Party PRD and the Labor Party PT formed their own coalition “United to win” (Unidos para ganar) and nominated Yeidckol Polevnsky.

The 2005 campaign and elections

During the first months of 2005 Peña Nieto offered a list of 617 actions in the regional (118), municipal (474) and state fields (16). Peña Nieto affirmed his absolute commitment to accomplish these actions through a notarized oath signed in Toluca on June 28, 2005. This ceremony took place during his campaign's closing event which took place in Ecatepec.[10]

The election was set on Sunday July 3 of 2005, two weeks later, on August 12, Peña Nieto received the certificate which accredited him as the elected governor of the State of Mexico. He got 49% of the votes.

The first year of government

On September 15, 2005, Peña Nieto was sworn in as constitutional governor of the State of Mexico at the Morelos theater in Toluca in front of a 5000 people, which included all the members of Parliament of the LV local Legislature.[12]

The activities of his first year as a governor are reviewed in his First Government Inform presented on September 6, 2006.[13] In the context of the questioned federal elections which lead the candidate of the PAN, supported by Peña Nieto, Felipe Calderón to the victory, he invited to a national dialogue. He reported positive advances on the economic indicators of the state and the achievement of the acquired agreements during his campaign regarding education, housing and agricultural support.

Atenco

On May 3, 2006, the public forces intervened in Atenco to stop a group of flower traders from being installed in one of the main streets. After a few hours a clash between the federal, state, municipal police and the inhabitants of the region was produced. As a result, a 14 year-old boy died. The following day the state police got in to take over the situation and arrested 211 persons.[14] Facts around this event have been contested and Amnesty International has asserted that during this event people were arrested without explanation and that several claims of sexual, physical and psychological abuse were made.[15][16] This NGO also claims that investigations ordered by the government regarding these acts lacked objectivity and that people who still remain in custody have not yet met fair trials.[17]

The second year of government

During his second year of government his wife Mónica Pretelini died on the evening of January 11, 2007. Her neurologist affirms that her patient suffered an epileptic crisis which produced arrhythmia. This led her to have a respiratory arrest and to her death at the ABC hospital after treating her at the emergency room of the Centro Médico de Toluca.[18][19]

On May 11, 2007, in Veracruz. Nicole, Alejandro and Paulina Peña Pretelini, the governor’s children, were having holidays in the company of their maternal family members: their aunt Claudia Pretelini and their grandparents Hugo and Olga Pretelini. The group was traveling on a van through the Boulevard Manuel Ávila Camacho of the city, and was escorted by a group of agents of the Public Security Direction of State of Mexico. At around 23:45 four vans reached them and a command of henchmen opened fire against the bodyguards Fermín Esquivel Almanza, Erick Lopez Sosa, Roberto Delgado Nabor and Guillermo Ortega Serrano died.[20] The authorities of Veracruz and Enrique Peña Nieto (who was on tour in Chalco) assured that it was a confusion between organized crime groups.[21]

His working team is composed, in its latest version, by:[22]

• Luis Miranda Nava: Government General secretary
• Gabriel O’Shea Cuevas: Health secretary
• Fernando Alfredo Maldonado Hernández: Work secretary
• Alberto Curi Naime: Education secretary
• Alejandro Ozuna Rivero: Social Development secretary
• David Korenfeld Federman: Water and Public Works for the development secretary
• Marcela Velasco Gonzalez: Urban development secretary
• Arturo Osornio Sanchez: Agricultural development secretary
• Carolina Monroy del Mazo: Economic development secretary
• Marco Antonio Abaid Kado: Metropolitan development secretary
• Raúl Murrieta Cummings: Finances secretary
• Alejandro Hinojosa Velasco: Controllership secretary
• Gerardo Ruiz Esparza: Communication secretary
• Fernando Maldonado Hernandez: Transport secretary
• Oscar Gustavo Cárdenas Monroy: Environment secretary
• Alfredo Castillo Cervantes: General Justice Attorney
• Martha Hilda González Calderón: Tourism secretary.

Presidential ambition

Peña Nieto was given a clear path to the nomination a week before he formally registered his candidacy, when Sen. Manlio Fabio Beltrones, a likely contender for the presidency in 2012, withdrew from the race.

Currently, the leading candidates are Peña Nieto, who will be the candidate of the Compromiso por Mexico coalition formed by the PRI, the Green Party (PVEM), and the New Alliance Party (PANAL); and former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, candidate of the alliance formed by the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), the Labor Party (PT) and the Citizens' Movement ("Movimiento Ciudadano").

The PAN has not decided on a candidate yet. The candidate vying for the nomination are Josefina Vazquez Mota, Santiago Creel and Ernesto Cordero.[23]

According to a recent US State Department diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks on 24 May 2011, Pena Nieto "is often referred to as the 'next president of Mexico.'" [24]

Flaws in front of social media

On 3 December 2011, during the International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Peña Nieto sparked controversy during a conference with other authors, where he presented his book "México: La Gran Esperanza" (Mexico: The Great Hope). During the press conference, Peña Nieto was asked which books had marked his life, and he answered fallaciously, claiming that Enrique Krauze was the author of the book "La Silla del Águila" (The Eagle's Throne), a novel actually written by Carlos Fuentes, a Mexican storyteller and author.[25] For more than five minutes, Peña Nieto tried to remember names of books and authors, but failed in his attempt, and ended up asking for help from the people present in the room where the conference took place, so that they could help him remember.[26] Peña Nieto argumented, however, that when he reads, he "focuses more on the reading" than on the authors and titles.[27] His collaborators tried to help Peña Nieto, but the limited and vague descriptions he offered of the books were not enough for them to help him match the authors and the titles.[28] Nevertheless, Peña Nieto did assert certain parables in the Bible correctly, and successfully matched The Prodigal Daughter with its actual author, Jeffrey Archer.[29] He was criticized, however, for claiming to have read only certain passages in the Bible.[30] That same night on Twitter, Peña Nieto apologized for his mistakes but recommended the books to his Twitter followers and congratulated those who criticized him, saying that their actions constitute what democracy is all about.[31] This incident sparked criticism of his inability to respond in non-scripted situations.[32] A few days after the press conference, Carlos Fuentes, one of the authors that was mismatched, explicitly said that Peña Nieto has the right to not read his works, but that he "does not have the right to become the President of Mexico" due to his "ignorance."[33] In an interview with BBC News, Fuentes mentioned that Peña Nieto does not have the capacity to converse and be on the par with world leaders like Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and Nicolas Sarkozy.[34]

In response to the criticism and jokes resulted of this incident, Peña Nieto's daughter called her father's critics on Twitter "a bunch of morons from the proletariat" who only criticize him because they envy his position.[35] Peña Nieto apologized for his daughter's statements, saying that her comment was an "emotional overreaction," and that he spoke with his kids and explained to them the importance of tolerating other peoples' opinions.[36]

Later controversy was spawned on 13 December 2011 during an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País.[37] During the session, Peña Nieto was asked several questions on the prices of Mexico's basic commodities,[38] but stopped when he confronted the question on the country's minimum wage.[39] The interviewer asked Peña Nieto what was the minimum wage in Mexico, but he did not know the correct figure for it, and claimed that it was around $900 pesos (about $64.75 US dollars), when it is actually around $1,740 pesos (about $125.2 US dollars) a month.[40] Several users in Twitter criticized him, while some joked about the situation.[41] In addition, he was asked how much the kilo for tortillas cost nationwide, and he replied "I am not the housewife,"[42] and then said that it was about $7 or $8 pesos, when the actual numbers were much higher.[43] Immediately, jokes and twits on Twitter with the tags #nosoylaseñoradelacasa (#I am not the house wife) were placed among the most popular.[44][45] Unwilling to stand the accusations, Peña Nieto mentioned that people had taken his words "out of context," and that he meant to say that he is not the housewife in his home, and thus wouldn't know the prices.[46] He also mentioned that he did not mean to offend women.[47]

In addition, on 17 December 2011, several politicians of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) caused confusion after they claimed on Twitter that Miguel de la Madrid, who served as President of Mexico from 1982 to 1988, had supposedly died of a respiratory problem.[48] Soon after the PRI state governors of Veracruz and Yucatán—Javier Duarte and Ivonne Ortega—asserted the rumor through Twitter, Peña Nieto expressed his condolences to de la Madrid's family, although Miguel de la Madrid was alive and in the hospital.[49] Felipe Calderón, the current president of Mexico and member of the National Action Party (PAN), commented on de la Madrid's death and offered his sympathy to his family, but quickly reversed the twit and clarified the rumor, explaining that de la Madrid was only in "grave conditions."[50] Consequently, Peña Nieto later confirmed Calderon's twit.[51]

References

  1. ^ http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/09/21/pena-nieto-announces-run-for-mexico-presidency/
  2. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15914073/
  3. ^ Enrique Peña Nieto's profile in Mexico 2012 Election Official Website
  4. ^ Declaran muerte cerebral a Mónica Pretelini - El Universal
  5. ^ Falleció Mónica Pretelini, esposa del gobernador del Estado de México - La Crónica de Hoy
  6. ^ Muere Mónica Pretelini, esposa de Peña Nieto -Milenio
  7. ^ `Somos novios, sí´ Enrique Peña Nieto confirma en el programa `Shalalá´ que mantiene una relación con la actriz Angélica Rivera - El Universal
  8. ^ González, Jesús Isaac (Octubre), "Entrevista a Enrique Peña Nieto", Líderes Mexicanos 124, http://www.lideresmexicanos.com/articulos.php?id_sec=43&id_art=1045&id_ejemplar=81 
  9. ^ Biografía de Enrique Peña Nieto en
  10. ^ a b c Comité Directivo Estatal del Partido Revolucionario Institucional del Estado de México, Enrique Peña Nieto, Memoria de Campaña para Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de México (2005-2011), 2005.
  11. ^ Rinde protesta el candidato del PRI a la gubernatura del estado de México El Universal, 13 de febrero del 2005.
  12. ^ Huerta, Ivan (Octubre), "Enrique Peña Nieto asume gubernatura de Edomex", Gente Sur 112, http://www.gentesur.com 
  13. ^ Gobierno del Estado de México, Primer informe de gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto, gobernador constitucional del Estado de México, 2006.
  14. ^ Recomendación 038/2006 CNDH, 16 de octubre de 2006
  15. ^ [1]
  16. ^ [2]
  17. ^ [3]
  18. ^ Fallece la esposa de Enrique Peña Nieto La Jornada, 12 de enero de 2007
  19. ^ Declaran muerte cerebral a Mónica Pretelini El Universal, 11 de enero de 2007
  20. ^ Ejecutan en Veracruz a 4 escoltas de Peña Nieto La Crónica de Hoy, 12 de mayo de 2007
  21. ^ “«Por confusión el asesinato de los cuatro escoltas» dice Peña Nieto” La Crónica de Hoy, 12 de mayo de 2007
  22. ^ [4] Elección 2012 México
  23. ^ [5] Fox News Latino, November 28, 2011
  24. ^ " WIKILEAKS - A LOOK AT MEXICO STATE, POTEMKIN VILLAGE STYLE : Pena Nieto: The Same Old PRI or Making Real Changes? en http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/09/09MEXICO2778.html
  25. ^ "Peña Nieto confunde nombres de libros y escritores en su visita a la FIL". CNN México. 3 December 2011. http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2011/12/03/pena-nieto-confunde-nombres-de-libros-y-escritores-en-su-visita-a-la-fil. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  26. ^ "Peña Nieto confunde nombres de libros y escritores en su visita a la FIL". Zócalo Saltillo. 3 December 2011. http://www.zocalo.com.mx/seccion/articulo/pena-nieto-confunde-nombres-de-libros-y-escritores-en-su-visita-a-la-fil/. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  27. ^ "Historias de políticos "peleados" con los libros". BBC Mundo. 5 December 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2011/12/111205_sp_pena_nieto_libros_literatura_gaffes_med.shtml. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  28. ^ "Peña Nieto y el síndrome Fox: confunde a autores de los libros que supuestamente marcaron su vida". Zona Francia. 3 December 2011. http://www.zonafranca.mx/pena-nieto-confunde-a-autores-de-los-libros-que-marcaron-su-vida/. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  29. ^ "El libro que sí leyó Peña Nieto". Animal Politico. 6 December 2011. http://www.animalpolitico.com/2011/12/el-libro-que-si-leyo-pena-nieto/. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  30. ^ "Aspirante presidencial de PRI se enreda sobre lecturas". Novedades Acapulco. 5 December 2011. http://www.novedadesacapulco.mx/pais/aspirante-presidencial-del-pri-se-enreda-sobre-lecturas. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  31. ^ "Mexican poll contender Pena Nieto falters at book event". BBC News. 6 December 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16044216. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  32. ^ "El PRI ha aprendido de sus errores". El Internacional. 11 December 2011. http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2011/12/10/actualidad/1323540576_290724.html. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  33. ^ "Carlos Fuentes critica a Peña Nieto tras pifia". El Universal. 13 December 2011. http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/815997.html. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  34. ^ de los Reyes, Ignacio (13 December 2011). "Carlos Fuentes habla sobre Peña Nieto, las drogas y el futuro de México". BBC Mundo. http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2011/12/111213_mexico_carlos_fuentes_pena_nieto_libros_irm.shtml. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  35. ^ "Mexican candidate defends his lack of knowledge about books". Fox News Latino. 6 December 2011. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/12/06/mexican-candidate-defends-his-lack-knowledge-about-books/. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  36. ^ "Hija de Peña Nieto causa ira en Twitter al renviar mensaje que insulta a críticos". La Jornada. 6 December 2011. http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/12/06/politica/013n1pol. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  37. ^ "Balconea El País a Peña Nieto: no sabe el monto del salario mínimo". Milenio. 11 December 2011. http://puebla.milenio.com/cdb/doc/noticias2011/be0e93a852354ad9e833b2ddfff25815. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  38. ^ "Evidencia diario español a Peña Nieto: ignora monto del salario mínimo". El Proceso. 11 December 2011. http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=290882. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  39. ^ "Peña Nieto desconoce el monto exacto del salario mínimo". Terra. 11 December 2011. http://noticias.terra.com.mx/pena-nieto-desconoce-el-monto-exacto-del-salario-minimo,3c720abfdbe24310VgnVCM3000009af154d0RCRD.html. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  40. ^ "Peña Nieto desconoce el precio del kilo de tortilla y del salario mínimo". International Business Times. 12 December 2011. http://mx.ibtimes.com/articles/20133/20111213/pena-nieto-salario-minimo-kilo-tortilla-mujer-dela-casa-twitter.htm. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  41. ^ Albarrán, Jairo Calixto (12 December 2011). "Peña Nieto y de a cómo el kilo de Lamborghini". Milenio. http://puebla.milenio.com/cdb/doc/impreso/9077893. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  42. ^ "Peña Nieto: "No soy la señora de la casa"". Yahoo Noticias. 13 December 2011. http://mx.noticias.yahoo.com/blogs/blognoticias/pe%C3%B1a-nieto--no-soy-la-se%C3%B1ora-de-la-casa.html. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  43. ^ "Se disparó 87.5% el precio del kilo de tortilla de 2006 a la fecha". La Jornada. 8 December 2011. http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/12/08/economia/029n1eco. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  44. ^ "#nosoylaseñoradelacasa". Twitter. http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23nosoylaseñoradelacasa. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  45. ^ "‘No soy la señora de la casa’: Peña Nieto". La Vanguardia. 13 December 2011. http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/nosoylasenoradelacasapenanieto-1170391.html. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  46. ^ "Lo que quise decir es que mi esposa es quien realiza las compras de la casa: Peña Nieto". Animal Politico. 13 December 2011. http://www.animalpolitico.com/2011/12/el-precio-de-las-tortillas-tema-para-la-senora-de-la-casa-pena-nieto/. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  47. ^ "Peña Nieto vuelve a dar la nota en Twitter". El Economista. 13 December 2011. http://eleconomista.com.mx/sociedad/2011/12/13/pena-nieto-vuelve-dar-nota-twitter. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  48. ^ "Mexican ex-President de la Madrid reported dead, then alive". Los Angeles Times. 17 December 2011. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/12/former-mexican-president-reported-dead-then-alive.html. Retrieved 23 December 2011. 
  49. ^ "Priistas causan confusión al reportar falsa muerte de Miguel de la Madrid". CNN México. http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2011/12/17/priistas-causan-confusion-al-reportar-falsa-muerte-de-miguel-de-la-madrid. Retrieved 23 December 2011. 
  50. ^ "Peña Nieto dio por muerto a De la Madrid". La Jornada. 18 December 2011. http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/12/18/politica/007n3pol. Retrieved 23 December 2011. 
  51. ^ "Rectifica Peña: Miguel de la Madrid no ha muerto". Terra. 17 December 2011. http://noticias.terra.com.mx/mexico/politica/rectifica-pena-miguel-de-la-madrid-no-ha-muerto,f1e6fecc7ed44310VgnVCM20000099f154d0RCRD.html. Retrieved 23 December 2011. 

Urge hacer un cambio de esrtategia contra la lucha contra el Narco

External links

See also

Preceded by
Arturo Montiel		 Governor of the State of Mexico
2005 - 2011		 Succeeded by
Eruviel Ávila Villegas