La Jornada: Jose Antonio Roman and Enrique Mendez
On Monday, ten days before the legal deadline, President Enrique Peña Nieto presented the National Development Plan (PND) for 2013-2018, which presents the design and implementation of public policies that will be implemented during the present administration. Moreover, this time the six-year document includes the commitments made by the government of the Republic of Mexico in the Pact for Mexico.
The event, held at noon in the Central Courtyard of the National Palace, was attended by all cabinet members, as well as governors and representatives of social and business sectors, academics, researchers and representatives of the diplomatic corps in the country .
In the four most recent administrations, the six-year plans have focused on combating poverty, balancing income distribution, ensuring more and better education, ending corruption and providing security.
None has achieved those goals ...
For the preparation of the document that was presented today, the Secretary of the Treasury had to take into account input from citizens, political parties and civil society organizations, as well as municipal and state governments, delivered through various forums of specialized consultation for each of the five national goals set by President Enrique Pena Nieto during his campaign.
The themes are: Inclusive Mexico, Prosperous Mexico, Mexico in Peace; Mexico with Quality Education for All, and Mexico as an Actor with Global Responsibility.
After its presentation on Monday, the PND will be submitted to Congress for consideration and review, and will be published in the Official Journal of the Federation. The legal deadline for processing, presentation and publication expires on May 31, six months after the inauguration of the President, as established in Article 21 of the Planning Act.
Carlos Salinas (1988-1994) sought to increase GDP by 2.7 percent, reduce inflation from 160 percent to single-digit rates, and for public debt to fall from 68% of GDP to 22%, but all these collapsed with the 'December Mistake' [peso devaluing] and the country fell into a financial debacle.
Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000) introduced his PND on May 31, 1995, during the economic crisis, and even so, he sought to reduce poverty, ''moderate'' inequality and generate jobs with sufficient income, but his policies were tied the bailout provided by the United States.
Vicente Fox (2000-2006) said on May 29, 2001 that his plan ''was developed through a very wide public consultation'', which broke with the mere ritual and good wishes of previous plans. Even so, his plan guaranteed "a Mexico with a future in global leadership'', with a high quality of life without social imbalances, with development opportunities. In addition, he said that his government's policies would allow ''incorporating the marginalized in development'', but during his term poverty deepened.
Six years later, on May 31, 2007, Felipe Calderon (2006-2012) promised "to pay the huge social debt" to the poor, especially indigenous people, but during his government half of the population fell into poverty .
The intention was that Mexicans move from "less human living conditions to more human living conditions''; however, his speech focused on combating violence that he claimed was ''a result of what was not done previously.'.
Now, with President Peña Nieto at the head of the federal government and the PRI back in Los Pinos [The Pines, the Mexican 'White House'], the objectives and goals for the country do not vary significantly, because the same problems persist, many of them aggravated by time. Spanish original