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Mexico Institute in the News: Mexican Presidential Frontrunner Draws Crowds, And Protests

Eric L. Olson

Enrique Peña Nieto draws crowds and protests, the Mexico Institute's Eric Olson explains his appeal.

Peña Nieto has painted himself as a leader of the new PRI — shaped by and dedicated to Mexico’s relatively new democracy.

In the first of two campaign appearances in Tijuana on Sunday, the candidate addressed thousands of supporters, mostly women, in the city’s downtown. Some threw rose petals over him as he walked through the crowd to the podium.

There, he laid out a 10-point plan for his vision of a “new” democratic Mexico...

As most politicians do, when running for governor Peña Nieto pledged to carry out a series of public works and reforms. During his time in office, he actually checked off each pledge as it was fulfilled.

“So he’s made a name for himself as promising things and delivering those things, and being a pretty effective governor,” said Eric Olson from the Washington-based Mexico Institute, part of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The other, dominant image of Peña Nieto, Olson said, is that of the young, dapper, pretty boy who suffered a family tragedy — his first wife died in 2007 — and has since remarried a popular soap opera star.

Both of these images contribute to the candidate’s celebrity status...

Read More:  http://www.fronterasdesk.org/news/2012/jun/04/mexican-presidential-frontrunner-draws-crowds-and-/

About the Author

Eric L. Olson

Eric L. Olson

Global Fellow;
Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Seattle International Foundation
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Mexico Institute

The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis Téllez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute.   Read more

Mexico Institute

The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis Téllez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute.   Read more