An Unpopular President Pena Nieto Defends Himself in National Speech Roque Planas - HuffPost
go to original September 3, 2015

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto delivered his State of the Union Wednesday as his government struggles to recover from a series of economic and political problems. CCTV's Martin Markovits filed this report. (CCTV America)

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto defended his handling of security, human rights and the national economy amid widespread criticism during his third annual state of the union address on Wednesday.

Speaking for more than an hour and a half, Peña Nieto rattled off statistics that he said marked a decrease in crime and an increase in economic growth and potential.

"Together, we're advancing toward the great national goals we set for ourselves," he said.

The homicide statistics Peña Nieto cited omitted recent figures, which show a consistent rise in the homicide rate since July of 2014, according to Animal Político.

At the same time, Peña Nieto acknowledged that his government has faced a series of setbacks that have pummeled his approval rating. Ahead of the speech, pollster Parametría released a survey showing that some 57 percent of Mexicans disapprove of the job he has done.

Watch Enrique Peña Nieto's state of the union speech in Spanish below.



Read the rest at HuffPost

Related: Mexico Government: Five Citizen Questions for Peña Nieto's Third Annual Government Report (Mexico Voices)

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