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QUICK FACTS: MEXICO Size: 1,972,550 square kilometers Population: 108,700,891 approximately Life expectancy: approximately 75 years Ethnic groups: mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish), 60 percent; Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian; and others Languages: Spanish; various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages Population below poverty line: 13.8 percent Average income: $7,870 USD (Source: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook 2008; The World Bank 2006) |
Mexico
In 2000, The Carter Center observed the first Mexican presidential election in 71 years that marked a change in the ruling party. Read about the Center's peace work in Mexico > Building Hope A former Spanish colony, Mexico gained its independence in the 19th century but has since struggled to distribute the wealth of the nation's natural resources equitably, leaving an affluent elite and masses of people living in poverty. There is hope in the eyes of those spared suffering from river blindness and in the voice of disenfranchised citizens whose votes are now truly being heard. The Carter Center has worked for more than a decade to help the Mexican people enjoy better health and deepen democratic practices, building hope for a prosperous national future. Fighting Disease Eliminating River Blindness from the Americas Latin America has made great strides to control river blindness, so that now, provided treatment and health education initiatives continue, permanent blindness from the disease is no longer a threat. Yet, until two decades ago, those who suffered from this painful and devastating disease had no hope for treatment. Onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness, is transmitted by black flies, which deposit the larvae of the Onchocerca volvulus worm into the body. Over the course of a year, these larvae mature within the human host, at which point the adult worms mate and the female worms release their embryonic microfilariae. These microfilariae cause debilitating itching and inflammation and may eventually infiltrate the eye where they cause damage and diminished eyesight. If left untreated, the infected person can become permanently blind. Mectizan® is the only medication that treats river blindness without major side effects. The drug, donated by Merck & Co., Inc., kills microfilariae in a single, yearly oral dose, thereby eliminating the risk of blindness in treated individuals. When given twice per year, transmission of the parasite is stopped and the disease can be eradicated after a period of seven to 10 years. The Mexican Ministry of Health in partnership with the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas, Lions Clubs International Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Merck has facilitated great successes. In an effort to accelerate elimination, quarterly distribution of Mectizan began in 2004 in 50 communities in the Chiapas state, combined with program monitoring to evaluate the program's impact on disease transmission. In 2008, coverage was greater than 85 percent for the eigth consecutive year with 268,761 treatments provided to the remaining two endemic foci (Oaxaca and Southern Chiapas).
Also in 2008, OEPA's program coordinating committee concluded that onchocerciasis transmission had been interrupted in the Oaxaca focus and recommended treatment there be stopped. The Mexican Ministry of Health accepted this recommendation and plans to stop Mectizan treatments in 2009. Learn more about the Center's work fighting river blindness > August 2007
Waging Peace Monitoring Elections In July 2000, a Carter Center delegation, led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Bolivia President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, witnessed a historic transition of power ending 71 years of rule by one party. As election observers for more than a decade in Mexico, the Carter Center's Americas Program and its Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas were honored to have been invited to observe an internationally significant presidential race alongside major Mexican political parties and the government. Since 1986, the Americas Program has tracked Mexico's elections informally and has sent five monitoring missions since 1992. On each of the visits, the Center observed election preparations and the implementation of electoral law. The Center made suggestions for improvements to electoral authorities, who were open to the comments as they strove to overcome past problems and transform Mexican politics. In June 2000, the program sent a team to assess campaign conditions. It heard reports of political parties attempting to buy or intimidate voters as well as criticisms of biased news media coverage favoring the ruling PRI party. However, overall the team found campaigning conditions consistent with the preparation of a free election and afterward pronounced the elections as near perfect. A successful election was possible because of significant electoral reforms in the past decade, including the creation of the autonomous Federal Election Institute, state-of-the-art voter identification cards, and an electoral court to rule on disputes and certify results. The Americas Program also commissioned the report "Electoral Justice in Mexico: From Oxymoron to Legal Norm in Less Than a Decade" by Todd Eisenstadt, assistant professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire. The report concluded that between 1988 and 1998, electoral courts increased their autonomy and professionalism, while political parties improved their technical capacity to document electoral problems. Promoting Economic Cooperation The Americas Program hosted a forum on the North American Free Trade Agreement, "NAFTA: Good or Bad for North America," in November 1993. The forum provided a discussion on the consequences of congressional approval or rejection of NAFTA and the implications for the subsequent Asia-Pacific meeting. The forum featured the Honorable Jack Watson, former Carter White House chief of staff and member of the presidential NAFTA and Beyond Commission; the Honorable Guillermo Aguilar Alvarez, NAFTA chief legal counsel; Dr. Jeffrey Shafer, U.S. assistant secretary of treasury for international affairs; and Hirosho Hashimoto, minister plenipotentiary, Embassy of Japan. Urging a Moratorium on Arms Sales Although Latin America spends relatively less on defense than most other regions, government spending on expensive weapons systems often diverts scarce foreign exchange from more effective investments, including education. Further, when one nation spends more on defense, other nations are compelled to do the same, thus generating dangerous international tensions. Concerned about an arms race in Latin America, the Carter Center's Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas urged governments in the region to pause before embarking on major arms purchases. Between April 1997 and March 1998, 28 current heads of government and 14 former heads of government signed a written pledge to accept a moratorium of two years on purchasing sophisticated weapons. Among these signatories was Mexico President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León. Election Reports Observing the 2000 Mexico Elections (PDF) The Carter Center has a long history of engagement with Mexico with the shared goal of improving the electoral system in that country. Pre-election Statement on Mexico Election, July 2, 2000 At the invitation of the major political parties and the government of Mexico and with the welcome of the Federal Election Institute, the Latin American and the Caribbean Program of The Carter Center, representing the Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers, dispatched an exploratory mission to Mexico on June 12-14, 2000, to assess the electoral process and propose a strategy to monitor the elections of July. Led by Dr. Robert Pastor, former director of the LACP, and Dr. Shelley McConnell, associate director of the LACP, the four-member team met with senior party officials, members of the government, IFE, the Electoral Tribunal, and diplomats. Final Report: Observing the 1997 Mexico Elections (PDF), released Oct. 1, 1997 The Carter Center sent a study mission to Mexico during the July 6, 1997, electoral process. Observing the 1994 Mexico Elections (PDF) The final report on the 1994 Mexico elections by The Carter Center. Final Report: Observing the 1992 Mexico Elections (PDF), released July 13, 1992 In response to an invitation by eight Mexican observer groups, the Carter Center's Council of Freely Elected Heads of Government sent a delegation of eight people to witness the observation of the elections in Michoacan and Chihuahua. |
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