Vicente Fox


Vicente Fox Quesada (born                      Vicente Fox
July 2, 1942) was elected
President of Mexico for the
period 2000-2006, the first
opposition party candididate
to win this office in Mexico Order:           19th President of Mexico
since 1929.                  Term of Office:  2000 - 2006
His election was             Preceded by:     Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Le—n
historically significant     Succeeded by:    none
because he is the first
President elected from an    Date of Birth    2 July 1942
opposition party since       Place of Birth:  Mexico City
Francisco I. Madero in 1910. Date of Death:
Fox was born in Mexico City, Place of Death:
and grew up on a farm in the First Lady:      Marta Sahagœn
state of Guanajuato. His     Occupation:
education included the
Universidad Iberoamericana   Political Party: Partido Acci—n Nacional
and Harvard University.

After graduation he went to work for the Coca Cola Company, starting off as
a route supervisor and driving a delivery truck. He rose in the company to
become supervisor of Coca Cola's operations in Mexico, and then in all of
Latin America.

Fox joined the PAN (National Action Party) party in the 1980s, and in 1988
was elected to congress representing Le—n, Guanajuato. He ran for governor
of Guanajuato in 1991, and many think he got the most votes, but the ruling
PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) candidate was declared the winner in
what a number of observers considered a dishonest fix by the PRI. In 1995 he
won the governorship of his state by a wide margin and took office. His term
as governor was noted for honesty and transparency of government, and the
economy of Guanajuato flourished. Fox was nominated as the PAN party's
presidential candidate for 2000 and won the election.

His PAN Party promotes free market economies and conservative values and
policies (the party is normally associated with the Roman Catholic church).