Jorge Castañeda and Shannon O'Neil on Mexico
Article Summary and Author Biography
Jorge G. Castañeda, former foreign minister of Mexico, and Shannon K. O'Neil, CFR senior fellow, discuss Mexico's President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto and the future of U.S.-Mexico relations.
Comment
At first, Mexico's recent presidential election looked unpromising: the PRI, the country's long-dominant party, crept back into office, but with only 38 percent of the vote and no majority in Congress. Yet the campaign revealed just how much Mexicans actually agree on, and the new government is likely to pass long-overdue reforms.
Snapshot
For decades, the PRI maintained control in Mexico by buying votes, co-opting the opposition, and wielding a repressive hand. Now the party could retake the presidency, but whether the PRI will return to its bad old ways is less important than the fact that Mexico's democratic institutions will hem in whoever is elected.
Mexican President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto and U.S. President Barack Obama, during their meeting in the White House this week. (Kevin Lamarque / Courtesy Reuters)
Foreign Affairs authors Jorge G. Castañeda, former foreign minister of Mexico, and Shannon K. O'Neil, CFR senior fellow, discuss Mexico's President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto and the future of U.S.-Mexican relations.
