Foxilandia

Foxilandia is a critical term used in the Mexican political culture to make reference to the administration (2000–2006) of President Vicente Fox.

It was first used during the appearance of President Fox before the Congress of the Union in September 2004, [ [http://www.cimacnoticias.com/noticias/04sep/04090111.html cimacnoticias.com | Inédito rechazo de oposición para mensaje presidencial ] ] in arguments by the opposition that Fox's vision of Mexico greatly differed from theirs. The connotation is that "Foxilandia", or Fox's vision, is impossible, unrealistic, a fantasy, while, in logical contrast, theirs would be balanced and realistic.

This term has been used by Vicente Fox in his radio program Fox Contigo ("Fox With You") [http://fox.presidencia.gob.mx/actividades/desarrollo/?contenido=15444&imprimir=true Vicente Fox: "aquí es foxilandia"] , Official site of the Presidency of Mexico, October 9, 2004.] Andrés Manuel López Obrador [ [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7293227739508470316&q=foxilandia%20Who%20is%20Mr.%20López? Example of video about AMLO using "Foxilandia"] ] , and journalists from major newspapers in Mexico such as "El Universal" [http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/editoriales/35992.html El Universal] , "Fox, filias y fobias", November 17, 2006.] , "La Jornada" [http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/09/02/012n1pol.php La Jornada] , "Rechazo obrero a Foxilandia", September 2, 2005.] and "Reforma" [http://busquedas.gruporeforma.com/utilerias/imdservicios3W.DLL?JSearchformatSP&file=elnortecom/2007/nacional/articulo/707623/default.htm&palabra=biblioteca Grupo Reforma] , "Harán realidad a 'Foxilandia': "Con la ampliación de la carretera de dos a cuatro carriles y la transformación del centro de la comunidad rural de San Cristóbal, el ex Presidente Vicente Fox cumplirá un sueño: tener su foxilandia."] . Foxilandia has also been used in political documentaries such as "Aventuras en Foxilandia" by Carlos Mendoza Aupetit, [ [http://www.canalseisdejulio.com/index.php?name=Foxilandia_nota Mil horas de memoria histórica ] ] and "Who is Mr. López" by director Luis Mandoki and the film "Un mundo maravilloso" (2006) by film director Luis Estrada [ [http://www.foxlatina.com/cinema/un_mundo_maravilloso-10831/10831/ "Un mundo maravilloso"] ] .

"Foxilandia" by Luis Mandoki

Chapter 14 of Luis Mandoki's "Who is Mr. López" documentary is titled "Foxilandia" [ [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7293227739508470316&q=foxilandia Who is Mr. López?, Chapter 14: "Foxilandia"] ] ) journalists Miguel Ángel Granados Chapa, Jaime Avilés and professors Denise Dresser (Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico, ITAM) and Lorenzo Meyer (Colegio de México, COLMEX) and news anchor Joaquín López-Dóriga contrast Fox's official declarations with reality as well as Fox's campaign promises and its results such as:

* Economy growing at a 7% rate and creating 1,350,000 jobs, while the economy grew 0.7% from 2001-2003 [ [http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/11/19/index.php?section=economia&article=028e1eco Jornada] , "Calderón rebasará a Fox por la derecha", November 11, 2006] and unemployment grew 188% [ [http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/10/21/019n1eco.php Jornada] , " Creció desempleo abierto 188 por ciento durante el sexenio de Fox", October 21, 2006] Nevertheless, the rise in unemployment can be attributed to the record deficit in the United States.
* Promise of deep political change but the Undersecretary of Finance during Carlos Salinas's government became Secretary of Finance during Fox's term and the Secretary of Finance during Ernesto Zedillo's government became Governor of the Bank of Mexico.
* Fox highlighted a change in customs in Mexican politics by saying that in his term the President would not interfere with the electoral process. The documentary shows video-footage of several demonstrations of Fox supporting the candidates of the ruling party and of Alfonso Durazo, his former personal secretary, declaring that no previous President was ever as active campaigning for candidates of his own party as was Fox. However, it is widely known in Mexico that Presidents before Vicente Fox always handpicked their successor.

The term has also been used by Grupo Reforma to describe Fox's project of a library of his legacy in his hometown of San Francisco del Rincón, Guanajuato. [http://busquedas.gruporeforma.com/utilerias/imdservicios3W.DLL?JSearchformatSP&file=elnortecom/2007/nacional/articulo/707623/default.htm&palabra=biblioteca Grupo Reforma] , "Harán realidad a 'Foxilandia': "Con la ampliación de la carretera de dos a cuatro carriles y la transformación del centro de la comunidad rural de San Cristóbal, el ex Presidente Vicente Fox cumplirá un sueño: tener su foxilandia."] The library however, will be a project that is closely modeled after presidential libraries in the United States, showcasing objects and documents important to the Fox presidency.

References

External links

* [http://www.terra.com.mx/noticias/galeria_de_fotos/007176/galeria.asp?FotoColeccionId=7176&NoPagina=7 ¿Viviremos en Foxilandia?]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7293227739508470316 Foxilandia as seen by Luis Mandoki]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPvC8HqeJBQ Aventuras en Foxilandia as seen by Carlos Mendoza]
* (Spanish) [http://www.criterios.com/modules.php?name=Opiniones&file=article&sid=385 Foxilandia at the journal "Criterios"]
* (Spanish) [http://www.asiestamaulipas.com/noticia.asp?id=1306&col=3 Foxilandia at the editoral of the journal "Así es Tamaulipas"]
* (Spanish) [http://www.radioformula.com.mx/programas/ruizhealy/poderdinero.asp?ID=34722 Foxilandia at RadioFormula]