Ernesto Zedillo
Encyclopedia
Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (born December 27, 1951) is a Mexican
economist and politician. He served as President of Mexico from December 1, 1994 to November 30, 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted seventy year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Revolutionary Party
. Since the ending of his term as president in 2000, Zedillo has been a leading voice on globalization, especially its impact on relations between developed and developing nations.
He is currently Director of the Center for the Study of Globalization
at Yale University
and director of Citi Group.
. His parents were Rodolfo Zedillo Castillo, a mechanic, and Martha Alicia Ponce de León. Seeking better job and education opportunities for his children, his parents moved to Mexicali
, Baja California
.
His humble origins made him appreciate the idea of progress and self improvement, even though he was well aware of the few opportunities he had for this. Zedillo was educated in public schools in Mexicali where he was recognized as an excellent student. During his adolescence, young Ernesto actively participated in school events, such as alumni societies and head of the school newspaper.
In 1965, at the age of 14, he returned to Mexico City. In 1969 he entered the National Polytechnic Institute
, financing his studies by working in the National Army and Navy Bank (nowadays Banjercito). He graduated as an Economist in 1972 and began lecturing. It was among his first group of students where he met his wife, Nilda Patricia Velasco
with whom he has 5 children: Ernesto, Emiliano, Carlos (married to conductor Alondra de la Parra
), Nilda Patricia and Rodrigo.
In 1974 he pursued his master's and PhD studies at Yale University
. His doctoral thesis was titled: "Mexico's public external debt: recent history and future growth related to oil".
By 1987 he was named deputy-secretary of Planning and Budget Control in the Secretariat of Budget and Planning. In 1988 at the age of thirty-six he headed that secretariat. During his term as Secretary, Zedillo launched a Science and Technology reformation.
In 1992 he was appointed Secretary of Education by president Carlos Salinas
, a year later he resigned to run the electoral campaign of Luis Donaldo Colosio
, the PRI
's presidential candidate.
's assassination, Zedillo became one of the few PRI
members eligible under Mexican law to take his place, since he had not occupied public office for some time.
The opposition blamed Colosio's murder on Salinas. Although the PRI's presidential candidates were always chosen by the current president, and thus Colosio
had originally been Salinas
' candidate, their political relationship had been affected by a famous speech during the campaign in which Colosio
said that Mexico
had many problems. It is also notable that the assassination took place after Colosio visited the members of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas and promised to open dialogue, something the PRI opposed.
After Colosio
's murder, this speech was seen as the main cause of his break with the president. The choice of Zedillo was interpreted as Salinas' way of bypassing the strong Mexican political tradition of non-reelection and retaining real power, since Zedillo was not really a politician, but an economist (like Salinas), who clearly lacked the president's political talent and influence. It is unclear if Salinas had attempted to control Colosio, who was generally considered at that time to be a far better candidate.
Zedillo contested against Diego Fernández de Cevallos
and second-timer Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas
of the National Action Party
and Party of the Democratic Revolution
respectively. He won with 48.69% of popular vote, some 17,181,651, and at the time this was considered the cleanest election in the country's history.
A few days after taking office, one of the biggest economic crisis in Mexican history hit the country. Although it was outgoing president Salinas who was mainly blamed for the crisis, Salinas claimed that president Zedillo made a mistake by changing the economic policies held by his administration. The crisis ended after a series of reforms and actions led by Zedillo. US president Bill Clinton
granted a US$50 billion loan to Mexico, which helped in one of Zedillo's initiatives to rescue the banking system.
At first Zedillo was regarded by many as a puppet-president but any rumors of obedience to Salinas
finished when Raúl Salinas, the "inconvenient brother" of the former president
was convicted of murder.
His political motto was Bienestar para tu familia (a pun in Spanish meaning both "Well-being for your family" and "Welfare for your family"). His most lasting act of government was the creation of Progresa, a poverty-fighting program based on subsidizing the poorest families provided their children go to school, later renamed Oportunidades
(Opportunities) by president Vicente Fox
.
Zedillo's administration was unable to resolve the EZLN uprising in Chiapas
, which lasted until Vicente Fox
came to power. Two massacres took place during the presidency of Zedillo: Aguas Blancas
and Acteal
. It was strongly suspected that top officers within Zedillo's cabinet (but not Zedillo himself) were involved, but none of them were ever indicted.
In 2000 Zedillo recognized the electoral victory of opposition candidate Vicente Fox before midnight on election day, paving the way for what seemed an unlikely change of power. For this reason some PRI
members consider him a traitor, despite an 11-point advantage for PAN, claiming that the election was too close to admit defeat so soon and that, in any event, the concession should have come from the PRI
's candidate, Francisco Labastida
, and not Zedillo.
Zedillo currently works at Yale University
in the United States, where he teaches economics and heads the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization
. He is an advisory board member of the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance at the Yale School of Management
. In 2005 he became a member of the influential Washington-based financial advisory body, the Group of Thirty
. He serves on the board of advisors for Stonebridge International
. In 2009 he headed an external review of the World Bank Group
's governance. In 2010 he joined the board of directors of Citigroup
. He is also a member of the board of directors of Procter & Gamble
, Alcoa
, the Global Development Network
(GDN) and Electronic Data Systems
. Dr. Zedillo is also a member of the Coca-Cola Company International Advisory Board
. Union Pacific owns some of the railroads that Zedillo privatized
during his presidency in Mexico. Dr. Zedillo now serves as a Director of Union Pacific Corporation.
Among his other post-presidency activities, Zedillo is a member of the editorial board of Americas Quarterly
, a policy journal that explores relations and development in the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the Club of Madrid
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
economist and politician. He served as President of Mexico from December 1, 1994 to November 30, 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted seventy year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
. Since the ending of his term as president in 2000, Zedillo has been a leading voice on globalization, especially its impact on relations between developed and developing nations.
He is currently Director of the Center for the Study of Globalization
Yale Center for the Study of Globalization
The Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, or YCSG, is a research center at Yale University at New Haven, Connecticut. It was launched in 2001 in order to 'enrich the debate about globalization on campus and to promote the flow of ideas between Yale and the policy world.'The current director...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and director of Citi Group.
Early life and education
Ernesto Zedillo was born on December 27, 1951 in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. His parents were Rodolfo Zedillo Castillo, a mechanic, and Martha Alicia Ponce de León. Seeking better job and education opportunities for his children, his parents moved to Mexicali
Mexicali
Mexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...
, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
.
His humble origins made him appreciate the idea of progress and self improvement, even though he was well aware of the few opportunities he had for this. Zedillo was educated in public schools in Mexicali where he was recognized as an excellent student. During his adolescence, young Ernesto actively participated in school events, such as alumni societies and head of the school newspaper.
In 1965, at the age of 14, he returned to Mexico City. In 1969 he entered the National Polytechnic Institute
National Polytechnic Institute
The National Polytechnic Institute colloquially known as the Polytechnic is one of the largest public universities in Mexico with 153.027 students at the high school, undergraduate and postgraduate levels...
, financing his studies by working in the National Army and Navy Bank (nowadays Banjercito). He graduated as an Economist in 1972 and began lecturing. It was among his first group of students where he met his wife, Nilda Patricia Velasco
First Lady of Mexico
First Lady of Mexico is the unofficial title of the wife of the President of Mexico.The post is highly ceremonial and in fact once caused severe controversy when it was thought that the First Lady took too much involvement in their husband's post....
with whom he has 5 children: Ernesto, Emiliano, Carlos (married to conductor Alondra de la Parra
Alondra de la Parra
Alondra de la Parra is a Mexican American conductor. She is also the founder and artistic director of the New York-based Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, an orchestra that promotes young soloists and composers from the Americas....
), Nilda Patricia and Rodrigo.
In 1974 he pursued his master's and PhD studies at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. His doctoral thesis was titled: "Mexico's public external debt: recent history and future growth related to oil".
Political career
Zedillo began working in the Bank of Mexico (Mexico's central bank), as a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, where he supported the adoption of macroeconomic policies for the country's improvement.By 1987 he was named deputy-secretary of Planning and Budget Control in the Secretariat of Budget and Planning. In 1988 at the age of thirty-six he headed that secretariat. During his term as Secretary, Zedillo launched a Science and Technology reformation.
In 1992 he was appointed Secretary of Education by president Carlos Salinas
Carlos Salinas
Carlos Salinas de Gortari is a Mexican economist and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Earlier in his career he worked in the Budget Secretariat all the way up to Secretary...
, a year later he resigned to run the electoral campaign of Luis Donaldo Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta was a Mexican politician, and PRI presidential candidate, who was assassinated at a campaign rally in Tijuana during the Mexican Presidential campaign of 1994.-Political history:...
, the PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
's presidential candidate.
1994 presidential campaign
In 1994 after ColosioLuis Donaldo Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta was a Mexican politician, and PRI presidential candidate, who was assassinated at a campaign rally in Tijuana during the Mexican Presidential campaign of 1994.-Political history:...
's assassination, Zedillo became one of the few PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
members eligible under Mexican law to take his place, since he had not occupied public office for some time.
The opposition blamed Colosio's murder on Salinas. Although the PRI's presidential candidates were always chosen by the current president, and thus Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta was a Mexican politician, and PRI presidential candidate, who was assassinated at a campaign rally in Tijuana during the Mexican Presidential campaign of 1994.-Political history:...
had originally been Salinas
Carlos Salinas
Carlos Salinas de Gortari is a Mexican economist and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Earlier in his career he worked in the Budget Secretariat all the way up to Secretary...
' candidate, their political relationship had been affected by a famous speech during the campaign in which Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta was a Mexican politician, and PRI presidential candidate, who was assassinated at a campaign rally in Tijuana during the Mexican Presidential campaign of 1994.-Political history:...
said that Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
had many problems. It is also notable that the assassination took place after Colosio visited the members of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas and promised to open dialogue, something the PRI opposed.
After Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio
Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta was a Mexican politician, and PRI presidential candidate, who was assassinated at a campaign rally in Tijuana during the Mexican Presidential campaign of 1994.-Political history:...
's murder, this speech was seen as the main cause of his break with the president. The choice of Zedillo was interpreted as Salinas' way of bypassing the strong Mexican political tradition of non-reelection and retaining real power, since Zedillo was not really a politician, but an economist (like Salinas), who clearly lacked the president's political talent and influence. It is unclear if Salinas had attempted to control Colosio, who was generally considered at that time to be a far better candidate.
Zedillo contested against Diego Fernández de Cevallos
Diego Fernández de Cevallos
Diego Fernández de Cevallos Ramos is a Mexican politician affiliated to the conservative National Action Party . He was a presidential candidate in the 1994 election and President of the Mexican Senate.-Life and career:...
and second-timer Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano is a prominent Mexican politician. He was a former Head of Government of the Federal District and a founder of the Party of the Democratic Revolution .-Biography:...
of the National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
and Party of the Democratic Revolution
Party of the Democratic Revolution
The Party of the Democratic Revolution is a democratic socialist party in Mexico and one of 2 Mexican affiliates of the Socialist International...
respectively. He won with 48.69% of popular vote, some 17,181,651, and at the time this was considered the cleanest election in the country's history.
Presidency
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
granted a US$50 billion loan to Mexico, which helped in one of Zedillo's initiatives to rescue the banking system.
At first Zedillo was regarded by many as a puppet-president but any rumors of obedience to Salinas
Carlos Salinas
Carlos Salinas de Gortari is a Mexican economist and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Earlier in his career he worked in the Budget Secretariat all the way up to Secretary...
finished when Raúl Salinas, the "inconvenient brother" of the former president
Carlos Salinas
Carlos Salinas de Gortari is a Mexican economist and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Earlier in his career he worked in the Budget Secretariat all the way up to Secretary...
was convicted of murder.
His political motto was Bienestar para tu familia (a pun in Spanish meaning both "Well-being for your family" and "Welfare for your family"). His most lasting act of government was the creation of Progresa, a poverty-fighting program based on subsidizing the poorest families provided their children go to school, later renamed Oportunidades
Oportunidades
Oportunidades is a government social assistance program in Mexico founded in 2002, based on a previous program called Progresa, created in 1997. It is designed to target poverty by providing cash payments to families in exchange for regular school attendance, health clinic visits, and nutritional...
(Opportunities) by president Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
.
Zedillo's administration was unable to resolve the EZLN uprising in Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, which lasted until Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
came to power. Two massacres took place during the presidency of Zedillo: Aguas Blancas
Aguas Blancas massacre
The Aguas Blancas Massacre was a massacre that took place on 28 June 1995, in Aguas Blancas, Guerrero, Mexico, in which, according to the official version, seventeen farmers were killed and 21 injured...
and Acteal
Acteal massacre
The Acteal Massacre was a massacre of 45 people attending a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic indigenous townspeople, including a number of children and pregnant women, who were members of the pacifist group Las Abejas , in the small village of Acteal in the municipality of Chenalhó, in the Mexican...
. It was strongly suspected that top officers within Zedillo's cabinet (but not Zedillo himself) were involved, but none of them were ever indicted.
In 2000 Zedillo recognized the electoral victory of opposition candidate Vicente Fox before midnight on election day, paving the way for what seemed an unlikely change of power. For this reason some PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
members consider him a traitor, despite an 11-point advantage for PAN, claiming that the election was too close to admit defeat so soon and that, in any event, the concession should have come from the PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
's candidate, Francisco Labastida
Francisco Labastida
Francisco Labastida Ochoa is a Mexican economist and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party , who became the first presidential candidate of his party to lose a presidential election, which he did in the 2000 presidential election to Vicente Fox.He was born to Gloria Ochoa...
, and not Zedillo.
Post-presidency
After leaving office, Zedillo has held many jobs as an economic consultant in many international companies and organizations.Zedillo currently works at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in the United States, where he teaches economics and heads the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He is an advisory board member of the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance at the Yale School of Management
Yale School of Management
The Yale School of Management is the graduate business school of Yale University and is located on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The School offers Master of Business Administration and Ph.D. degree programs. As of January 2011, 454 students were enrolled in its MBA...
. In 2005 he became a member of the influential Washington-based financial advisory body, the Group of Thirty
Group of Thirty
The Group of Thirty, often abbreviated to G30, is an international body of leading financiers and academics which aims to deepen understanding of economic and financial issues and to examine consequences of decisions made in the public and private sectors related to these issues...
. He serves on the board of advisors for Stonebridge International
Stonebridge International
Stonebridge International is an international advisory firm that helps businesses get a foothold in emerging countries such as Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Russia and India...
. In 2009 he headed an external review of the World Bank Group
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
's governance. In 2010 he joined the board of directors of Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
. He is also a member of the board of directors of Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
, the Global Development Network
Global Development Network
The idea of a Global Development Network was conceived at a meeting organized by The World Bank in Washington in May 1997. Participants included the heads of GDN's regional network partners and representatives of various bilateral and multilateral organizations and academic associations including...
(GDN) and Electronic Data Systems
Electronic Data Systems
HP Enterprise Services is the global business and technology services division of Hewlett Packard's HP Enterprise Business strategic business unit. It was formed by the combination of HP's legacy services consulting and outsourcing business and the integration of acquired Electronic Data Systems,...
. Dr. Zedillo is also a member of the Coca-Cola Company International Advisory Board
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
. Union Pacific owns some of the railroads that Zedillo privatized
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
during his presidency in Mexico. Dr. Zedillo now serves as a Director of Union Pacific Corporation.
Among his other post-presidency activities, Zedillo is a member of the editorial board of Americas Quarterly
Americas Quarterly
Americas Quarterly, The Policy Journal for Our Hemisphere, is a magazine dedicated to policy analysis and debate of economics, finance, social development, and politics in the Western Hemisphere.Launched in 2007, AQ reaches over 17,000 readers...
, a policy journal that explores relations and development in the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the Club of Madrid
Club of Madrid
The Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization created to promote democracy and change in the international community. Composed of 80 former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 56 countries, the Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of former Heads of State and Government.Among...
.