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• Felipe Calderon is the current President of Mexico. The results of his election in 2006 were hotly contested, but officially upheld. Although initially unpopular due to the election controversy and a few controversial executive decisions, Calderon's popularity has slowly risen in the country.El Universal: Cae apoyo a Calderon (Spanish) (November 5, 2007)La Jornada: Fuerte caida en encuestas de popularidad de Felipe Calderon tras el alza a la tortilla(February 14, 2007)

• Fast Facts

  1. Full name: Felipe de Jeus Calderon Hinojosa
  2. Born: August 18, 1962
  3. Birth place: Morelia, Mexico
  4. Political party: National Action Party (PAN)
  5. Current President of Mexico
  6. Assumed office on December 1, 2006
  7. Preceded by: Vicente Fox
  8. Previous office: Secretary of Energy
  9. Wife: Margarita Zavala

• Meeting with Barack Obama

  On January 12, 2009, President-Elect Barack Obama had lunch with Calderon, marking Obama's first meeting with a foreign leader since being elected. The two reportedly discussed, among other things, the economic crisis, immigration, border security and drug cartels. Incoming Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that Obama proposed that the two countries form a group combined of delegates from both countries to discuss issues that affected both nations.Politico: Obama talks policy with Calderon (January 12, 2009)

• Contested Election

  When the election results were announced in July of 2006, Calderon's opponent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador contested their validity. Although Calderon's win was eventually confirmed by the Federal Election Tribunal, many people still refused to believe that he won legitimately. Public surveys showed that over 36% of Mexicans believe election results were either in error or fraudulentBlog Post: Abandona un tercio a Lopez Obrador Por Roberto Gutierrez y Alejandro Moreno (July 2, 2007)

• Presidential Policies

  Since becoming president, Calderon has increased the money given to programs for regional development, continued the open foreign policy plan initiated by Vicente Fox and reformed immigration policy. He has also enacted several controversial economic reform plans including a price cap on tortillas, a government-funded employment program, and caps on civil servant salaries.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  George W. Bush | Vicente Fox | Mexico | Stephen Harper | Immigration Debate | Angela Merkel | Nicolas Sarkozy | Hugo Chavez | Barack Obama

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