- Vicente Fox
Infobox_President | name=Vicente Fox Quesada | nationality=Mexican
office= President of Mexico
term_start=December 1 ,2000
term_end=November 30 ,2006
predecessor=Ernesto Zedillo
successor=Felipe Calderón
birth_place=Mexico City ,Mexico
spouse=Marta Sahagún (2001-Present)
Lilian de la Concha (1970-1990)
party= National Action Party
religion=Roman Catholic
order2=Governor of Guanajuato
term_start2=1995
term_end2=2000
predecessor2=Carlos Medina Plascencia
successor2=Ramón Martín Huerta
birth_date=birth date and age|1942|7|2Vicente Fox Quesada (IPA-es|biˈsente foks keˈsada; born
July 2 1942 ) is a Mexican politician who served asPresident of Mexico from 2000 to 2006 and currently serves as co-President of theCentrist Democrat International , an international organization of Christian democratic political parties. [http://www.cdi-idc.com/subsubpagina.php?hoofdmenuID=1&submenuID=2&subsubmenuID=48 Who's Who] at [http://www.cdi-idc.com CDI-IDC] ]Fox was elected President of Mexico in the 2000 presidential election, a historically significant election that made him the first president elected from an opposition party since
Álvaro Obregón in 1920. The 2000 election was also significant because it was the first presidential election since the end of theMexican Revolution to be generally considered competitive and fair.Fact|date=September 2008 He was elected with 42 percent of the vote, marking the first time that the then-dominantInstitutional Revolutionary Party had lost a presidential election.After serving as president of Mexico for six years, President Fox returned to his home state of
Guanajuato , where he resides with his wife and family. Since leaving the presidency, Vicente Fox has been involved in public speaking and the construction of theVicente Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum . [es: [http://centrofox.org.mx/ CentroFox.org.mx] ]Private life
Early life and education
Vicente Fox was born in
Mexico City onJuly 2 1942 , the second of nine children. His father was José Luis Fox Pont, an American citizen [cite news| last =Martinez | first =PUTOTA | title =Indagará PGR origen de un acta de nacimiento del padre de Fox | newspaper =El periódico de México | year =2006 | date =2006-09-01 | url = http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:zgz1wEqOV4wJ:www.elperiodicodemexico.com/nota.php%3Fsec%3DExclusivas-Articulos%26id%3D27193+%22Jos%C3%A9+Luis+Fox+Flach%22&hl=es&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a | accessdate = 2007-06-04] and his mother was Mercedes Quesada Etxaide, a Basque. Fox's paternal grandfather was born Joseph Louis Fuchs inCincinnati, Ohio ,United States , son of GermanCatholic immigrants Louis Fuchs and Catherina Elisabetha Flach. The 'Fox' name was changed from the German 'Fuchs' in the 1870s. [ Ancestry.com. Cincinnati, Ohio Directory, 1890-91 [database on-line] . Provo, UT, USA: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2000. Original data: Cincinnati, OH, USA: Williams & Co., 1890. ]Fox spent his childhood and adolescence at the family ranch in
San Francisco del Rincón inGuanajuato . He moved back to Mexico City to attend theUniversidad Iberoamericana where he pursued a business degree until1964 , and obtained a diploma in Top Management Skills from theHarvard Business School .Cite web| title =Vicente Fox: President Elect of Mexico | year = 2000 | url = http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/bio_foxkids.html | accessdate = 2007-06-04]President of Coca-Cola Company
In 1964, he went to work for
The Coca-Cola Company where he started as a route supervisor and drove a delivery truck. He quickly rose in the company to become supervisor of Coca-Cola's operations in Mexico, and later in all ofLatin America . As President of Coca Cola Mexico, Vicente Fox helpedCoca-Cola become Mexico's top selling soft drink, increasing Coca-Cola's sales by almost 50%.cite news | last =Milner | first =Kate | title =Profile: Vicente Fox | language =English | publisher =BBC | date = 2000-07-03 | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/813206.stm | accessdate = 2007-06-04]Marriage
Vicente Fox married a receptionist at Coca-Cola, Lilian de la Concha. They adopted four children, Ana Cristina, Vicente, Paulina and Rodrigo. [cite news | last =BeleJack | first =Barbara | title =Live, from Guanjuato: It's President VICENTE FOX! | language =English | publisher =Texas Observer | date =2001-02-16 | url =http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=20 | accessdate = 2007-06-04 ] In 1990, after 20 years of marriage, Lilian filed for divorce. [cite web | last =Ross | first =John | title =Fox, Inc. Takes Over Mexico | publisher =Third World Traveler | month =March | year =2001 | url =http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Mexico/Fox_Inc_Mexico.html | accessdate = 2007-06-04 ]
Vicente Fox married for the second time while in office. He married Marta María Sahagún Jiménez (until then his spokesperson) on
July 2 2001 , the first anniversary of his presidential election and his 59th birthday. For both, this was their second marriage.Early political career
After retiring from Coca-Cola, Vicente Fox began to participate in various public activities in Guanajuato, where he created the "Patronato de la Casa Cuna Amigo Daniel", an orphanage. He was president of Patronato Loyola, a sponsor of the León campus of the
Universidad Iberoamericana and the Lux Institute. [http://www.un.int/mexico/biography_fox.htm Biography of Vicente Fox] ]With the support of
Manuel Clouthier , Vicente Fox joined the Partido Acción Nacional onMarch 1 ,1988 . That same year he ran for and was elected to the federal Chamber of Deputies representing the Third Federal District inLeón, Guanajuato .Governor of Guanajuato
After serving in the Chamber of Deputies, Fox sought the governorship in Guanajuato in 1991, but lost to
Ramón Aguirre Velázquez of the PRI. Following the election, local discontent was so great that the state Congress appointedCarlos Medina Placencia of the PAN as interim governor. Four years later, Fox decided to run again, winning by a vote of 2 to 1.Campaign for President
In 2000, Vicente Fox decided to run for
President of Mexico . In spite of opposition within his party, Fox secured his candidacy representing theAlliance for Change , a political coalition formed by the National Action Party and theGreen Ecological Party of Mexico .During the course of his campaign a presidential debate was organized. There was a disagreement between the three main contenders, Fox,
Francisco Labastida of the PRI andCuauhtémoc Cárdenas of the PRD, and some of the arguments were broadcast on national television, notably the one on whether the debate should be held that same day or the following Friday. [ [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-65306555.html Encyclopedia.com] ] For minutes, Fox kept repeating the word "Hoy" meaning "today", originating the famous phrase "hoy, hoy, hoy!". The other candidates decided to postpone the debate, but Fox used that day's airtime anyway. At first the action brought criticism to Fox, but it soon backfired against his opponents when Fox started using his new phrase to gain new supporters as he campaigned for a better future "today".Fox's main votebank was the
Criollo andMestizo populace of Northern and CentralMexico .Fact|date=July 2008During the presidential debate Francisco Labastida, his main opponent, claimed in a nationally televised debate that Vicente Fox had repeatedly called him a "sissy " and a "cross-dresser". [http://us-mex.irc-online.org/borderlines/updater/2000/june30Elect.html]His campaign slogans were "Ya!" ("Right now!"), "Ya ganamos" ("We've already won") and "Vota Alianza por el Cambio" meaning "Vote for Alliance for Change".
Amigos de Fox
Amigos de Fox ("Friends of Fox") was a non-profit fund raising group that was instrumental in getting Vicente Fox elected President of Mexico. The phrase was also used as a campaign slogan referring to the millions of people supporting Fox in the 2000 presidential elections. [ [http://www.laraza.com/news.php?nid=38696 LaRaza.com] ]In 2003, money-laundering charges were lodged against the fund raising group, but were dropped a fortnight before the July 2003 mid-term elections. [ [http://www.alertnet.org/printable.htm?URL=/db/cp/mexico.htm AlertNet.org] ]
Election results
On
July 2 2000 , the day of his 58th birthday, Vicente Fox won the presidential election with 43% (15,989,636 votes) of the popular vote, followed by theInstitutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidateFrancisco Labastida with 36% (13,579,718 votes), andCuauhtémoc Cárdenas of theParty of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) with 17% (6,256,780 votes). Vicente Fox declared victory that same night, a victory which was ratified by President Zedillo. After the final results were announced, President-elect Vicente Fox met with thousands of supporters at the Angel of Independence monument inMexico City , to address his supporters and celebrate his victory. His opponents conceded the election later that night.President-elect Vicente Fox received an enormous amount of media coverage, as well as many congratulating messages and phone calls from world leaders including the President of the United States at the time,
Bill Clinton .Fox took office as president on
December 1 ,2000 marking the first time in Mexico's history that an incumbent government peacefully surrendered power to an elected member of the opposition.Fox administration
:"See article
Fox administration "Controversial comments
* In May 2005, a controversy arose over comments Fox made during a meeting with Texas businesspeople in which he said, "There is no doubt that Mexicans, filled with dignity, willingness and ability to work, are doing jobs that not even blacks want to do there in the United States." This angered many African-Americans in the United States, prompting many black leaders to demand an apology from Fox. The Reverend
Al Sharpton requested a formal apology from Fox to the African-American community and called for an economic boycott of Mexican products until an apology was received; he and many African-Americans felt that Fox's comments were insensitive andracist . The ReverendJesse Jackson , during a news conference concerning Fox's statement about African-Americans, said that he felt that the comments were, "unwitting, unnecessary and inappropriate" and added that " [Fox's] statement had the impact of being inciting and divisive." [ [http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/14/fox.jackson/ CNN.com - Mexican leader criticized for comment on blacks - May 15, 2005 ] ]* Fox was also known to have misspoken the name of Argentine writer
Jorge Luis Borges as "José Luis Borgués" in the Royal Congress of the Spanish Language. This error sparked accusations of an "uncultured" President. [http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/403553.html Vuelve Fox a incurrir en error cultural en discurso - El Universal - México ] ]* In 2006 after
Evo Morales refused to sell natural gas to willing buyers, Fox said, "Well, they'll either have to consume it all themselves or they're going to have to eat it." [ [http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=220357 Evo pide a Fox que no trate de humillarlo por presunta negativa a vender gas a México / 24 de Marzo de 2008 ] ]* In yet another controversial move he decided to cancel the parade commemorating the 96th anniversary of the
Mexican Revolution to take placeNovember 20 , arguing that it's an obsolete celebration in which nobody wants to participate anymore. Some analysts consider that this is a response to Andrés Manuel López Obrador's alternative presidency assuming to take place the same day. Criticism changes regarding the different sources: while some consider it a smart decision, others view it as a sign of political weakness. [ [http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=267946 Cancela Fox, porque son “tiempos democráticos”, el desfile deportivo del 20 de noviembre; PRI considera que cedió la plaza a López / 24 de Marzo de 2008 ] ]* In November 2006, the TV network
Telemundo released a video recording previous to an interview with President Fox where he states: "Ya hoy hablo libre, ya digo cualquier tontería, ya no importa, ya total, yo ya me voy," which means "Now, I speak freely. Now, I say any stupidity. It doesn't matter anymore. Anyway, I'm already leaving." Then, during the interview he talked about the violent situation inOaxaca . The President's office complained about the release of this images and said he was not aware of the camera and microphones being turned on. News agencyEFE accused Telemundo of acting unethically, for the video is their intellectual property. [ [http://www.elporvenir.com.mx/notas_coment.asp?nota_id=95084&cmt=16429 El Porvenir | Nacional | ‘Puedo decir cualquier tontería... ya me voy: Fox ] ]* In a lecture in the
United States , in which he was a keynote speaker, he identified writerMario Vargas Llosa as a Nobel laureated Colombian, when he is Peruvian (Spanish by naturalization) and not aNobel Prize winner.Public image
During his campaign for president, Vicente Fox became well know for his unique cowboy style and popular charisma. With his trademark boots and “Fox” belt buckle, the president's personal style closely resembled that of many stereotypical "Mexicans". A gifted speaker, Fox usually gathered big crowds throughout his six years as president. [ [http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2000/07/07/mexico/ Salon.com News | Fox is it ] ]
At six foot five, President Fox easily stood out in most crowds, and is believed to be one of the tallest presidents in Mexican history. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/813206.stm BBC News | AMERICAS | Profile: Vicente Fox ] ] After his inauguration, President Fox usually only wore suits for formal occasions, opting to wear his signature boots and jeans throughout his many visits around Mexico. [ [http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://archives.cjr.org/year/01/4/images/foxmexico.jpg&imgrefurl= Google Image Search ] ]
When President Fox welcomed U.S. President
George W.Bush to his ranch inGuanajuato , both presidents were wearing Fox’s signature black cowboy boots, prompting theWall Street Journal to call it “The Boot Summit”. [ [http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= Google Image Search ] ]Post-presidential life
On
December 1 ,2006 ,Felipe Calderón , Fox’s former Secretary of Energy, took office as the President of Mexico. Although Fox had promised a one year stand of silence, he quickly changed his mind and began addressing reporters a few days later.Fact|date=September 2008Public speaking
After leaving office in December 2006, Fox has maintained himself in the public eye by speaking in countries such as
Nigeria ,Canada and theUnited States about topics such as the controversial 2006 election and theIraq War . Vincent Sun. In Mexico, Fox's busy post-presidency has caused much criticism. Nevertheless, Fox states, "There is no reason to hold to the anti-democratic rules of those who still live in the authoritarian past…now that Mexico is a democracy, every citizen has the right to express himself, even a former president."Fact|date=September 2008In addition, President Fox has expressed interest in campaigning for PAN candidates in future Mexican elections, an action that would make him the first former president in many decades to do so. Given that President Fox is still well-liked and left office with approval ratings looming 70%, many in Mexico are wondering if his support can get candidates elected. [Gonzalez, Enrique Andrade, "The Final Days of Mexican President Vicente Fox" [http://www.mexidata.info/id1022.html Mexidate.Info] ]
Autobiography
Fox's autobiography, entitled "Revolution of Hope: The Life, Faith and Dreams of a Mexican President", was released in September 2007, only in English, and only in the United States. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-peppard_0429gl.ART.State.Bulldog.43489d9.html Clock ticking for Allyn on Fox book | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Arts & Entertainment ] ] To promote its release, Fox toured many U.S. cities to do book-signings and interviews with U.S. media. During his tour, however, he faced protests from Mexican immigrants who accused him of illicit enrichment and actions that forced them to emigrate and find jobs in the United States. [ [http://www.el-universal.com.mx/notas/403471.html Fox reaparece en Los Ángeles; entre protestas, defiende logros - El Universal - México ] ] He faced the subject several times during interviews, such as one held with
Fox News 's Bill O'Reilly, who questioned him about the migration problem between Mexico and the United States. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300817,00.html FOXNews.com - Former Mexican President Vicente Fox Debates Immigration Issue With Bill - Bill O’Reilly | The O’Reilly Factor ] ] Finally, during an interview withTelemundo 's Rubén Luengas, the interviewer asked Fox about allegations concerning some properties of Vicente Fox's wife, Martha Sahagún. After Fox explained the situation he asked the interviewer not to make false accusations and to prove what he was saying. Luengas said "I'm telling you in your face, I'm not a liar". After this Fox walked out of the studio, calling the interviewer a 'liar', 'vulgar', and 'stupid'. [ [http://www.telemundo52.com/noticias/14359845/detail.html Entrevista con Vicente Fox causa polémica - Noticias - KVEA Los Angeles ] ] Upon the book's release, many were surprised to read several excerpts wherein Fox was highly critical of United States President,George W. Bush , considered by many to be a close friend of Fox's. For example, Fox wrote that Bush was "the cockiest guy I have ever met in my life," and claimed that he was surprised that Bush had ever made it to the White House. Later, in an interview withLarry King , Fox explained that this was a misunderstanding; what he meant by calling George W. Bush 'cocky' was to say he was 'confident'. [ [http://www.laopinion.com/primerapagina/?rkey=00000000000002503550 Polémica por gira de Fox ] ] Fox also referred to Bush in his autobiography as a "windshield cowboy", due to Bush's apparent fear of a horse Vicente offered him to ride. [ [http://www.correntewire.com/vicente_fox_bush_a_windshield_cowboy_whos_scared_of_horses Vicente Fox: Bush a "windshield cowboy" who's scared of horses | Corrente ] ]Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum
:"See:
Vicente Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum OnJanuary 12 ,2007 , [ [http://busquedas.gruporeforma.com/utilerias/imdservicios3W.DLL?JSearchformatSP&file=elnortecom/2007/nacional/articulo/707623/default.htm&palabra=biblioteca AND Fox&siteelnorte Harán realidad a 'Foxilandia'] byGrupo Reforma ] over a month after he left office, Vicente Fox announced the construction of a center of studies, library and museum that has been labeled by the US press as Mexico's First Presidential Library. [ [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20070426-9999-7m26fox.html SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Mexico - Fox gets award for reform in Mexico ] ] [http://centrofox.org.mx/cebm_c070413_1.html] [ [http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA040107.24A.Fox_today.3698155.html MySA.com: Metro | State ] ] The project will be a library, museum, a "center for the advancement of democracy", a study center, and a hotel, and it will be completely privately funded. [ [http://busquedas.gruporeforma.com/utilerias/imdservicios3W.DLL?JSearchformatSP&file=elnortecom/2007/nacional/articulo/707855/default.htm&palabra=biblioteca&siteelnorte Interesa a IP 'Foxilandia'] byGrupo Reforma ] [ [http://busquedas.gruporeforma.com/utilerias/imdservicios3W.DLL?JSearchformatSP&file=elnortecom/2007/nacional/articulo/708051/default.htm&palabra=Fox&siteelnorte Callan sobre inversión en 'Foxilandia'] byGrupo Reforma ] It is expected to be a genuine U.S. style presidential library. It will be built in his home state ofGuanajuato , in his home town ofSan Francisco del Rincón .While museums are abundant throughout the country, it has nothing comparable to a presidential library where personal documents, records, and gifts amassed by a country’s leader are opened to the public. Fox’s library will be modeled after the Bill Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, [ [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070218/news_1n18fox.html Fox looks to cement his place in history | The San Diego Union-Tribune ] ] which, according to the former President, will allow Mexicans to enjoy, for the first time in Mexico’s history, the liberty to review the documents, images and records that made up his six years as president. [http://centrofox.org.mx/cebm_c070129.html]
According to the official website, the construction of the Center is in progress and advancing. [ [http://centrofox.org.mx/cebm_c070413_1.html Fox Center] .] Final completion of the library is expected by late 2007.
Centrist Democratic International
On
September 20 ,2007 , Fox was elected Co-President (along with the re-electedPier Ferdinando Casini ) of the Centrist Democratic International at its leader's meeting inRome . The CDI is the international organization of political parties that counts Fox's party, the National Action Party, as a member. [http://www.cdi-idc.org/news/newsdetail.php?hoofdmenuID=4&newsID=15&submenuID=49&PHPSESSID=809252cb4f10b72aeb8bcc2da4450cdd Portail d'informations Ce site est en vente! ] ]tatue controversy
In October 2007, an announcement was made in the municipality of Boca del Río,
Veracruz , that a 3 meter (10 ft) statue of Vicente Fox was to be erected to honor the former president. This aroused much criticism from the oppositionParty of the Democratic Revolution and Mexican media towards Boca del Río's mayor, who is affiliated with theNational Action Party , of which Fox is also a member.The statue was put in place amidst protests on the dawn of
October 13 ,2007 . The inauguration was to have been held onOctober 14 ,2007 . Some hours after the installation, however, a crowd of about 100 people brought the statue down with a rope, damaging it. The statue was later put back in place for the inauguration, then taken away for repairs. [ [http://www.laprensalatina.com/?p=579 La Prensa Latina » Blog Archive » Derriban estatua de Vicente Fox ] ]PAN members accused Veracruz's governor,
Fidel Herrera Beltrán , of ordering the attack on the statue, while Fox called him "intolerant." Some sources in the media considered that the installation of the statue was inappropriate, since former President Fox was facing allegations relating to an illicit enrichment scandal.Many of the protesters were members of the centrist
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which governed Mexico for much of the 20th century, until Fox (of the conservative National Action Party [PAN] ) won the 2000 presidential election, ousting the PRI from power. [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/14/world/main3365380.shtml Protestors Tear Down Vicente Fox Statue, Statue Of Former Mexican President Destroyed Right Before Dedication - CBS News ] ]Illicit enrichment accusations
After the publication of an interview with pictures Fox's ranch on social magazine "
Quién ", criticism of Fox's wealth increase during his administration spiked. Later into 2007 accusations formalized into a congressional investigation withLino Korrodi 's evidence at the center. [ [http://www.el-universal.com.mx/notas/449957.html Exhibe Fox riqueza “cínica y descarada”: Lino Korrodi - El Universal - México ] ] No results have been produced from the investigation.ee also
*
List of Presidents of Mexico
*National Action Party (Mexico)
*Mexican general election, 2000 Notes
External links
* [http://fox.presidencia.gob.mx/ Vicente Fox website during his Presidency]
* [http://www.vicentefox.org.mx/ Vicente Fox Museum and Library]
* [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_norte/mexico/vicente_fox_quesada Extended bio and presidential tenure] , byCIDOB Foundation
* [http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1781 Vicente Fox Interview] onThe Hour withGeorge Stroumboulopoulos
*imdb name|id=1795528|name=Vicente FoxPersondata
NAME=Fox, Vicente
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Fox Quesada, Vicente (Spanish)
SHORT DESCRIPTION= President of Mexico (2000 - 2006)
DATE OF BIRTH=July 2 ,1942
PLACE OF BIRTH=Mexico City ,Mexico
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=
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