Former Governor Vincente Fox, of Guanajuato, candidate of the free-market National Action Party (PAN), wins election as President of Mexico, breaking the 71-year monopoly on political power held by the status quo Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Fox defeats Francisco Labastida, former Secretary of the Interior, the candidate for PRI (42.5% to 36.1%). Also-rans include,
- Former Governor Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, of the Federal District, candidate of the social democratic Party of the Democratic Revolution (16.6%);
- Gilberto Rincon, founder and candidate of Social Democracy (1.6%);
- Manuel Camacho, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, founder and candidate of the social democratic Party of the Democratic Center (0.6%); and
- Porfirio Munoz, former Secretary of Public Education, candidate of the status quo Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution (0.4%);
- other candidates (0.1%); and
- UNDERVOTES—2.1%.
Postscripts:
- Within two weeks after the election, the PRI, which relied on patronage, licensing and corruption to remain in power, had shown every indication of implosion; four and a half months later, the PRI was deeply in debt and had to cut its staff in half, to seven hundred. More than a year and a half later, the Party continued to collapse
- Three years later, the long awaited free-market reforms that Mexico so desperately needs, had not materialized, as the PRI reversed it collapse, and PAN had revealed itself to be nothing more than a carbon copy of PRI. In the 2003 midterm elections for Congress, PAN had dropped its representation to 168 seats, while PRI’s representation had climbed to 203, out a total of 500 total seats; PAN and PRI had proven themselves to be mirror images of each other, just as the status quo (Democratic and Republican) parties in the United States are mirror images of each other. Fox had also proven himself to be more of a Ronald W. Reagan, rather than a Vaclav Havel or a Boris Yeltsin.
[updated 11/26/2023]
Subsequent Events:
References:
Traci Carl, “Fox’s Party Regresses in Voting,” Orange County (California) Register, 7 July 2003, News:9.
Ken Ellingwood, “Mexico’s Ousted PRI is Limping Into a Make-or-Break Period,” Los Angeles Times, 26 November 2000, A3.
Georgie Anne Geyer, “Fox Proves a Huge Disappointment,” Orange County (California) Register, 16 July 2003, Local:9.
Mary Beth Sheridan, “Mexico’s Ruling Party Loses Presidency in Historic Election,” Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2000, A1, 20.
Mary Beth Sheridan and Ken Ellingwood, “Mexico Power Shift Extends to Legislature,” Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2000, A1, 15.
Mary Beth Sheridan, “PRI’s Splintering After Loss of Mexico’s Helm,” Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2000, A1, 16.
James F. Smith, “PRI Revolt May Shake Mexico’s Stability,” Los Angeles Times, 14 January 2001, A4.
James F. Smith, “PRI Leadership Vote Results in Charges of Corruption,” Los Angeles Times, 28 February 2002, A3.
Mark Stevenson, “PRI’s Leaders Will Resign After Defeat,” Orange County (California) Register, 13 July 2000, News:19.
“Some PRI Figures Seek New Party,” Orange County (California) Register, 5 April 2001, News:19.
2000 Mexican general election – Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Mexican_general_election
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