| BARRIOZONA |
| Bilingual Community Expression Published by the Hispanic Institute of Social Issues |
| Mexico - Change in Power |
| Felipe Calderón to take oath on December 1, 2006 With only a thin-razor margin of 0.56% over López Obrador, and facing his opponents' vows to prevent him from taking office, the 44-year old, Roman Catholic and father of three, prepares to take aim at an untidy country. |
| By HISI and BARRIOZONA's Staff Writers Photographs by William González for BARRIOZONA White House photograph by Eric Draper |
barriozona.com
“We were an unpretentious family, we did
not have much comfort, but we never
lacked anything on the table of our home,
and we were always able to attend school.”
Thus describes his childhood Felipe
Calderón Hinojosa − Mexico’s president-
elect . Born on August 18, 1962, in Morelia,
the capital city of the Mexican State of
Michoacán, Calderón Hinojosa was born
into a political family. The son of Luis
Calderón and María del Carmen Hinojosa,
he was politically active since his early
years. He participated in many political
campaigns of his father’s party − the
National Action Party (PAN) − by distributing
pamphlets, putting up posters, and
painting walls with campaign’s propaganda.
His involvement would thrust him to
become – years later – the Youth National
Secretary of the PAN.
Along a skyrocketing political career,
Calderón Hinojosa obtained a bachelor’s
degree in Law from the Escuela Libre de
Derecho in Mexico City, and a Masters
degree in economics from the Instituto
Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM.) He
would complement his education by
receiving a Masters in Public Administration
from the Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard University. In 1995 he
unsuccessfully ran for governor of his
native Michoacán. He was elected President
of the National Executive Committee − the
highest rank in his party, a position he held
from 1996 to 1999. He was also a local
representative in the Legislative Assembly
and in the federal Chamber of Deputies for
two terms.
Felipe Calderon’s political dimension
expanded significantly when Vicente Fox
was elected president in 2000. His first
appointed position in the Fox
administration was Director of Banobras, a
national bank specialized in providing
financing and technical assistance for
infrastructure or public works projects for
state and county governments. Later he
was appointed Secretary of Energy. Up
until then, Calderón’s likelihood to become
the presidential candidate for the PAN was
slim. However, he resigned that position to
object President Fox’s criticism to his
expressed presidential aspirations. Fox
was inclined toward his Secretary of
Interior, Santiago Creel, succeeding him in
office.
not have much comfort, but we never
lacked anything on the table of our home,
and we were always able to attend school.”
Thus describes his childhood Felipe
Calderón Hinojosa − Mexico’s president-
elect . Born on August 18, 1962, in Morelia,
the capital city of the Mexican State of
Michoacán, Calderón Hinojosa was born
into a political family. The son of Luis
Calderón and María del Carmen Hinojosa,
he was politically active since his early
years. He participated in many political
campaigns of his father’s party − the
National Action Party (PAN) − by distributing
pamphlets, putting up posters, and
painting walls with campaign’s propaganda.
His involvement would thrust him to
become – years later – the Youth National
Secretary of the PAN.
Along a skyrocketing political career,
Calderón Hinojosa obtained a bachelor’s
degree in Law from the Escuela Libre de
Derecho in Mexico City, and a Masters
degree in economics from the Instituto
Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM.) He
would complement his education by
receiving a Masters in Public Administration
from the Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard University. In 1995 he
unsuccessfully ran for governor of his
native Michoacán. He was elected President
of the National Executive Committee − the
highest rank in his party, a position he held
from 1996 to 1999. He was also a local
representative in the Legislative Assembly
and in the federal Chamber of Deputies for
two terms.
Felipe Calderon’s political dimension
expanded significantly when Vicente Fox
was elected president in 2000. His first
appointed position in the Fox
administration was Director of Banobras, a
national bank specialized in providing
financing and technical assistance for
infrastructure or public works projects for
state and county governments. Later he
was appointed Secretary of Energy. Up
until then, Calderón’s likelihood to become
the presidential candidate for the PAN was
slim. However, he resigned that position to
object President Fox’s criticism to his
expressed presidential aspirations. Fox
was inclined toward his Secretary of
Interior, Santiago Creel, succeeding him in
office.
| A Profile of Mexico's President-Elect |
BIO INFO Felipe Calderón Hinojosa. Born on August 18, 1962 in the city of Morelia, Michoacan, in Mexico. He is a Catholic Conservative Mexican politician, and president-elect. A former president of his party and former Secretary of Energy in the cabinet of President Vicente Fox. He received a bachelor's degree in law from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City, has a master's degree in economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) and has a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was president of his party's youth movement in his early twenties. He was also a federal representative in the Legislative Assembly, and on two different occasions in the Chamber of Deputies. He ran for the governorship of Michoacan in 1995 and served as national president of the PAN from 1996 to 1999. During this period, his party maintained control of 14 Mexican states capitals. He is married to Margarita Zavala; they have three children. |
| INTERACTIVE |
Nevertheless, party members chose Felipe Calderón as their presidential aspirant, and he became the official
candidate after winning primary elections against Creel, and Alberto Cárdenas, a former governor, and another
aspiring pre-candidate. Calderón accepted his party’s nomination on December of 2005, and immediately began his
campaign on New Year’s Day 2006.
Initially, Calderón lacked popularity and presence, but after the first presidential debate, his campaign gained
momentum. Little more than three months after the commence of his presidential campaign, his popularity
significantly increased, placing him, according to the polls, ahead of former Mexico’s City Mayor − and much popular
− Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Calderón was able to sustain this advantage for about two months, before his
lead declined right after the second presidential debate, when López Obrador presented serious accusations
against him. Close-to-the-election polls predicted a very tight election outcome; some placed López Obrador ahead
of the race, and other polls favored Calderón Hinojosa. The polls projected a trend that characterized the close and
disputed results.
On July 2nd, millions of Mexican citizens throughout the nation showed up to vote in record numbers , expecting to
know by day’s end who would be their next president. The historic voter’s turnout was shadowed when the
Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) announced that the race was too close to call. IFE officials declined to make public
the results of a sophisticated exit poll. Against the IFE’s wishes, both Calderón and Lopez Obrador claimed victory
that night on national television. On Monday morning July 3rd, unofficial election results provided by the Program of
Preliminary Electoral Results (PREP) presented Felipe Calderón as having a slight lead with 1.04%.
Three days later, the IFE presented their official count. By an unbelievable narrow edge − 0.58% − over López
Obrador, Felipe Calderón was the winner of the election. The close margin, and allegations of irregularities in many
polling posts, prompted López Obrador and his party coalition to demand a national recount. At the end, the
highest electoral authority in Mexico, the Federal Electoral Tribunal, rejected a full recount, only allowing 9.07% of
the polling stations. Two months later, on September 5th, Felipe Calderón was ratified as the new president-elect
with a lead of only 233,831 (0.56%) votes more than López Obrador.
candidate after winning primary elections against Creel, and Alberto Cárdenas, a former governor, and another
aspiring pre-candidate. Calderón accepted his party’s nomination on December of 2005, and immediately began his
campaign on New Year’s Day 2006.
Initially, Calderón lacked popularity and presence, but after the first presidential debate, his campaign gained
momentum. Little more than three months after the commence of his presidential campaign, his popularity
significantly increased, placing him, according to the polls, ahead of former Mexico’s City Mayor − and much popular
− Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Calderón was able to sustain this advantage for about two months, before his
lead declined right after the second presidential debate, when López Obrador presented serious accusations
against him. Close-to-the-election polls predicted a very tight election outcome; some placed López Obrador ahead
of the race, and other polls favored Calderón Hinojosa. The polls projected a trend that characterized the close and
disputed results.
On July 2nd, millions of Mexican citizens throughout the nation showed up to vote in record numbers , expecting to
know by day’s end who would be their next president. The historic voter’s turnout was shadowed when the
Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) announced that the race was too close to call. IFE officials declined to make public
the results of a sophisticated exit poll. Against the IFE’s wishes, both Calderón and Lopez Obrador claimed victory
that night on national television. On Monday morning July 3rd, unofficial election results provided by the Program of
Preliminary Electoral Results (PREP) presented Felipe Calderón as having a slight lead with 1.04%.
Three days later, the IFE presented their official count. By an unbelievable narrow edge − 0.58% − over López
Obrador, Felipe Calderón was the winner of the election. The close margin, and allegations of irregularities in many
polling posts, prompted López Obrador and his party coalition to demand a national recount. At the end, the
highest electoral authority in Mexico, the Federal Electoral Tribunal, rejected a full recount, only allowing 9.07% of
the polling stations. Two months later, on September 5th, Felipe Calderón was ratified as the new president-elect
with a lead of only 233,831 (0.56%) votes more than López Obrador.
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