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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.
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.
The History of Mexico
Felipe Calderón
Enrique Peña Nieto
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