9781422286944

The History of Mexico

addressed the problem of drug-related crime. He sent 6,500 Mexican soldiers to Michoacán, ordering them to attack the operations of the drug cartel La Familia Michoacana. This initial operation soon expanded in scope, leading to a widespread conflict between Mexican federal authorities and the drug cartels. This narco war, as it is called, has led to the deaths of at least 80,000 people since 2006. Yet the drug cartels remain as powerful, and profitable, as ever, with annual revenue from drug smuggling estimated at more than $40 billion. In 2012, the PRI returned to power with the election of Enrique Peña Nieto as president. In the first years of his term, Peña Nieto's administration successfully passed new legislation intended to reform many aspects of Mexican government and life, including education, financial services, the energy sector, and telecommunications. His government also continued waging the narco war against the drug cartels.

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Felipe Calderón

Enrique Peña Nieto

Text-Dependent Questions What Mexican of Amerindian descent became president in 1861? Which party dominated Mexican politics from 1929 until the 2000 presidential election? Research Project Using the Internet or your school library, do some research on a famous person from Mexican history, such as Hernán Cortés, Montezuma, Father Miguel Hidalgo, Benito Juárez, Porfirio Diaz, Francisco Madero, Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa, Venustiano Carranza, Álvaro Obregón, Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderón, or Enrique Peña Nieto. Write a two-page report about this per- son’s life and accomplishments. Present it to the class.