- published: 22 Aug 2016
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Enrique Peña Nieto (Spanish pronunciation: [enˈrike ˈpeɲa ˈnjeto]; born 20 July 1966) is the 57th President of Mexico. His six-year term began in 2012. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he served as governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to 2011. Peña Nieto was declared "president-elect" after the 2012 general election was declared valid by the Federal Electoral Tribunal, amidst accusations of electoral fraud. He took office on 1 December 2012, succeeding Felipe Calderón.
Pena Nieto announced his presidential candidacy in September 2011, four days after leaving office as governor. He formally registered in November 2011. Peña Nieto garnered a plurality of 39% of the vote and does not hold a legislative majority. His election marked the return of the PRI to power after a twelve-year hiatus. The PRI had governed Mexico uninterrupted for 71 years until it was defeated by the National Action Party (PAN) in 2000. Protests against the election of Peña Nieto drew tens of thousands of people across Mexico, particularly from the Yo Soy 132 student movement, who protested alleged voting irregularities and media bias. Others protested that during its time in power, the PRI became a symbol of corruption, repression, economic mismanagement and electoral fraud. Many Mexicans and urban dwellers worried that its return to power might signify a return to Mexico's past. Peña Nieto promised that his government would be much more democratic, modern and open to criticism. He also pledged to continue the fight against organized crime and drug trade and that there would be no pacts with criminals.