Mexican President-Elect Likely to Dial Back Drug War

Mexico’s president-elect, Enrique Peña Nieto, is seen as continuing the prosecution of the country’s fight against drug traffickers. In addition, Peña Nieto’s public statements suggest that he wants to retain close trade relations with the United States while reducing the country’s dependence on its neighbor by expanding trade across Latin America. Nevertheless, change in Mexico could be limited. Peña Nieto’s major focus is likely to be the narcotics problem and he is expected to shift tactics in a bid to lessen the horrific level of violence between rival drug cartels, conflicts which claimed thousands of lives and terrorized Mexicans and Americans alike under the exiting Calderón government.

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