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| Enrique Peña Nieto takes office as Mexico's president | Enrique Peña Nieto takes office as Mexico's president |
| (4 months later) | |
| Enrique Peña Nieto has formally taken office as Mexico's new president with a vow to restore peace and security and tackle vested interests that have hindered economic prosperity. | Enrique Peña Nieto has formally taken office as Mexico's new president with a vow to restore peace and security and tackle vested interests that have hindered economic prosperity. |
| As several hundred protesters threw firebombs at police and smashed windows, Peña Nieto marked the return of the Institutional Revolutionary party (PRI) with a 13-point plan including populist handouts as well as reforms designed to boost the economy and modernise the education and justice systems. | As several hundred protesters threw firebombs at police and smashed windows, Peña Nieto marked the return of the Institutional Revolutionary party (PRI) with a 13-point plan including populist handouts as well as reforms designed to boost the economy and modernise the education and justice systems. |
| "Mexico has not achieved the advances that the population demands or deserves," Peña Nieto said. "It's time for us together to break the myths and paradigms and all else that has limited our development." | "Mexico has not achieved the advances that the population demands or deserves," Peña Nieto said. "It's time for us together to break the myths and paradigms and all else that has limited our development." |
| Inaugural events were marred all day by protesters opposed to the return of the PRI after 12 years out of power. | Inaugural events were marred all day by protesters opposed to the return of the PRI after 12 years out of power. |
| Inside and outside the congressional chambers where he took the oath of office, his opponents called his inauguration an "imposition" of a party that ruled for 71 years using a mix of handouts, graft and rigged elections. At least four demonstrators and four officers were injured as protesters clashed with police who used teargas and 65 people were detained. | Inside and outside the congressional chambers where he took the oath of office, his opponents called his inauguration an "imposition" of a party that ruled for 71 years using a mix of handouts, graft and rigged elections. At least four demonstrators and four officers were injured as protesters clashed with police who used teargas and 65 people were detained. |
| Vandals smashed windows of stores, banks and a hotel and made bonfires of furniture dragged into the streets. One downtown bank office where all the windows were broken had the words "Welcome Peña" painted across the facade in green. | Vandals smashed windows of stores, banks and a hotel and made bonfires of furniture dragged into the streets. One downtown bank office where all the windows were broken had the words "Welcome Peña" painted across the facade in green. |
| Peña Nieto countered with a speech full of specifics, from creating an integrated crime prevention program to ending the patronage and buying of teacher positions that rules the public education system. | Peña Nieto countered with a speech full of specifics, from creating an integrated crime prevention program to ending the patronage and buying of teacher positions that rules the public education system. |
| He said he would put security at the centre of all policies for Mexicans and their families and would work to ensure that roads and cities were again "peaceful areas where Mexicans can travel safely without fear of loss of their liberty or life". | He said he would put security at the centre of all policies for Mexicans and their families and would work to ensure that roads and cities were again "peaceful areas where Mexicans can travel safely without fear of loss of their liberty or life". |
| Mexico has suffered a spike in violence since the outgoing president, Felipe Calderón launched an offensive against organised crime upon taking office six years ago. An estimated 60,000 people have been killed by drug violence since then. While officials first said most of the victims were involved in organised crime, the killings and kidnapping spread to innocent civilians as drug gangs came to rule entire towns and even parts of some states. | Mexico has suffered a spike in violence since the outgoing president, Felipe Calderón launched an offensive against organised crime upon taking office six years ago. An estimated 60,000 people have been killed by drug violence since then. While officials first said most of the victims were involved in organised crime, the killings and kidnapping spread to innocent civilians as drug gangs came to rule entire towns and even parts of some states. |
| In his speech, Peña Nieto turned to his usual style of results-oriented governing with the list, having started his term as governor of Mexico state with 608 projects that he promised to complete. | In his speech, Peña Nieto turned to his usual style of results-oriented governing with the list, having started his term as governor of Mexico state with 608 projects that he promised to complete. |
| The tone of was conciliatory, an attempt to alleviate fears about a return to the PRI's autocratic past. "I will respect every voice," he said. "I will run an open government that speaks with honesty, seeks opinion, listens to its citizens ... I will be a president who is close to the people." | The tone of was conciliatory, an attempt to alleviate fears about a return to the PRI's autocratic past. "I will respect every voice," he said. "I will run an open government that speaks with honesty, seeks opinion, listens to its citizens ... I will be a president who is close to the people." |
| Many of his proposals harkened back to the old populist PRI, promising pensions for the elderly, life insurance for single mothers to support their children through college, a program to end hunger and a new system of passenger trains. | Many of his proposals harkened back to the old populist PRI, promising pensions for the elderly, life insurance for single mothers to support their children through college, a program to end hunger and a new system of passenger trains. |
| The political analyst Jesus Silva-Herzog Marquez said: "It was very concrete, very practical, zero ideology. I think Peña Nieto is not a person who thinks in abstract terms." | The political analyst Jesus Silva-Herzog Marquez said: "It was very concrete, very practical, zero ideology. I think Peña Nieto is not a person who thinks in abstract terms." |
| Before he took the oath of office, leftist congressional members inside the chamber gave protest speeches and hung banners, including a giant one reading "Imposition consummated. Mexico mourns". | Before he took the oath of office, leftist congressional members inside the chamber gave protest speeches and hung banners, including a giant one reading "Imposition consummated. Mexico mourns". |
| "One word sums up December 1: restoration. The return to the past," said Congressman Ricardo Monreal of the Citizens' Movement party. | "One word sums up December 1: restoration. The return to the past," said Congressman Ricardo Monreal of the Citizens' Movement party. |
| Peña Nieto had campaigned as the new face of the PRI, repentant and reconstructed after being voted out of the presidency in 2000. | Peña Nieto had campaigned as the new face of the PRI, repentant and reconstructed after being voted out of the presidency in 2000. |
| Before his public swearing-in on Saturday hundreds of opponents banged on tall steel security barriers around Congress, threw stones, bottle rockets and firecrackers at police and yelled "Mexico without PRI!" Police responded by spraying teargas from a truck and used fire extinguishers to put out flames from petrol bombs. One group of protesters rammed and dented the barrier with a large truck before being driven off by police water cannon. | Before his public swearing-in on Saturday hundreds of opponents banged on tall steel security barriers around Congress, threw stones, bottle rockets and firecrackers at police and yelled "Mexico without PRI!" Police responded by spraying teargas from a truck and used fire extinguishers to put out flames from petrol bombs. One group of protesters rammed and dented the barrier with a large truck before being driven off by police water cannon. |
| "We're against the oppression, the imposition of a person," said Alejandro, 25, a student protester. "He gave groceries, money and a lot more so people would vote for him." | "We're against the oppression, the imposition of a person," said Alejandro, 25, a student protester. "He gave groceries, money and a lot more so people would vote for him." |
| "The president is like Salinas: 'I don't see you, I don't hear you,'" said Aurelio Medina, 64, a vendor and protestor referring to the former PRI President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. | "The president is like Salinas: 'I don't see you, I don't hear you,'" said Aurelio Medina, 64, a vendor and protestor referring to the former PRI President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. |
| Despite the public protests, the atmosphere inside Congress during the swearing-in ceremony was far less chaotic than six years ago, when a Calderón security unit literally had to muscle him past blockades and protesters to get him into the building so he could take the oath of office after a razor-thin disputed victory over a leftist candidate. | Despite the public protests, the atmosphere inside Congress during the swearing-in ceremony was far less chaotic than six years ago, when a Calderón security unit literally had to muscle him past blockades and protesters to get him into the building so he could take the oath of office after a razor-thin disputed victory over a leftist candidate. |
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