Calderon Archives - Foreign Policy In Focus

Mexico: Pact with the Devil?

by Patrick Corcoran | Nov 24, 2010

Mexican President Felipe Calderón can point to a significant catalog of accomplishments under his watch, from a handful of key legislative reforms to his government’s praiseworthy response to the swine flu epidemic in 2009. Far better known to most Americans, however, are his battles with organized crime and the unfortunate consequences: high-profile kidnappings, decapitated heads, disappeared reporters, the dystopian descent of Juárez. All told, some 30,000 have been killed in murders linked to organized crime since Calderón took office in December 2006.

Calderon’s Visit to Washington

by Manuel Perez-Rocha | May 24, 2010

Mexican President Felipe Calderón came to the United States last week assuming the moral high ground as a victim of U.S. drug consumption and weak gun laws. In his speech before the U.S. Congress, Calderón firmly called on the United States to take concrete steps to cut the traffic of high-caliber arms and illicit money from the United States to Mexico, and reform its immigration policies, particularly Arizona’s new anti-immigrant law. By contrast, President Barack Obama had nothing but words of support for his southern neighbor.

Mexico’s Oil Referendum

by Manuel Perez-Rocha, Emily Schwartz Greco | Aug 6, 2008

Mexico is engaged in one of the most pivotal debates in its modern history: the future of its oil industry. The question is whether oil operations should remain in state hands or be privatized. Mexico exported 1.1 million barrels of oil per day to the United States in 2007, making it the third-largest supplier of oil to the United States, after Canada and Saudi Arabia. Yet the U.S. media has paid scant attention to the debate over what will happen with Mexico’s most important industry.

Mexico’s Battle over Oil

by Laura Carlsen, John Feffer | May 15, 2008

On April 8, President Felipe Calderon dropped a political bomb on the Mexican political scene. The Senate received an executive initiative that would fundamentally change the structure and operations of the oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Key operations of the state-owned enterprise would pass into private hands.

Plan Mexico

by Laura Carlsen, John Feffer | Oct 29, 2007

After months of talks, President George W. Bush finally announced the “security cooperation” plan for Mexico. On October 22, he sent a request for $500 million in supplemental aid for 2008 as part of a $1.4 billion dollar multi-year package.

Postcard from…Mexico

by John Feffer, Katie Kohlstedt | Oct 26, 2007

Mexico: Allow More Time for Democracy

by Mark Engler | Jul 14, 2006

When a hotly contested electoral race comes to a close, almost everyone prefers to wake up the next morning knowing who the winner is. But sometimes, such as in the July 2 presidential election in Mexico , the race proves so tight that certifying the outcome requires careful, transparent, and, yes, often slow deliberation. In such cases, taking time can be the best option for democracy.

Mexican Election Could Lead to Immigration Shift

by Chuck Collins, Nadia Martinez | Jul 13, 2006

Mexico’s presidential and congressional elections Sunday will have significant implications in the United States.

Mexico’s Democratic Transition Still Incomplete

by Mark Engler, Emily Schwartz Greco | Jul 5, 2006

As the results of the July 2 presidential elections in Mexico head to the courts, it could be several days or even weeks before the final winner is determined. The current vote counts have given a razor thin advantage to Felipe CalderÃ³n of the right-wing National Action Party (PAN), to which incumbent President Vicente Fox belongs. Still, with the margin well under one percent and with irregularities in the vote-counting process being challenged, progressive former Mexico City mayor, AndrÃ©s Manuel LÃ³pez Obrador of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), might conceivably eke out a victory. While U.S. newspapers declare CalderÃ³n the winner, Mexican electoral authorities have yet to do so, recognizing the tribunal that is reviewing disputes as the final arbiter for the race.