Cristina Nieves (born 1972) was President of Mexico from 2000 to 2007, preceding Fernanda Aguirre. Nieves was a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, and she was a moderate social democrat who supported expanded government programs such as education, public housing, and healthcare. She fought off an economic recession in 2001, but her administration often fought for its life against the conservative PAN party, which briefly toppled the PRI majority in the Chamber in 2003, although PAN narrowly failed in unseating her. While she had widespread support early in her seven-year tenure, her popular support later fell due to a series of economic crises, and the 2006 recession - which utterly devastated the economy - led to the PRD candidate Fernanda Aguirre winning the election with 35.6% of the vote, while Nieves placed third with 31.9% of the vote, behind PAN candidate Alberto Morena with 32.5% of the vote in a hotly-contested election.
Biography[]
Rise to power[]
Cristina Nieves was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1972, and she worked as a lawyer before entering politics with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). In 2000, she became the party's leader, leading her party to win an astounding 47.54% of the vote and 19 seats in the parliamentary election, beating out the PAN party's 36.74% and 15 seats and the PRD's 15.72% and 6 seats. In 2000, she won the presidential election with 45.5% of the vote to PAN candidate Rodrigo Almonte's 34.1% and PRD candidate Fernanda Aguirre's 20.5%. Aguirre's parliament voted 26-3 in favor of nationwide public housing, 36-0 to create public libraries, 31-1 to approve agricultural research, 16-13 to approve a divisive school bus tax (supported by PAN and half of the PRI), and 36-0 in favor of a public smoking ban. Shortly after the public smoking ban, a poll indicated that the PRI would win 50.6% of the vote at the next election, followed by PAN with 33.9% and the PRD with 15.5%. Shortly after, the Chamber voted 35-0 to approve a child benefit system and 16-4 against repealing the alcohol tax (in a vote which had 14 abstentions from the PRD and PRI and only limited support from PRI deputies Juan Loreto Mayo, Raquel Orellana, Mariana Guerrero, and Aline Echevarria). The ensuing election (with 52% turnout) saw the PRI win 50.52% of the vote and 20 seats (picking up a seat from PAN), PAN dropped to 33.8% of the vote and 14 seats, and the PRD maintained its 6 seats while its vote share fell to 15.67%. In the ensuing presidential election, Nieves was comfortably re-elected with 44.8% of the vote to Almonte's 31% and Aguirre's 24.1%; the PRI lost a few of its more progressive voters to the PRD due to the PRD's consistently leftist stances.
Early troubles[]
Nieves' second term began with slight economic downturn due to overspending and a lack of tax income. PAN legislator Luis Nicastro proposed ditching the agricultural subsidy, but the measure vailed 14-12 due to infighting within the PRI and the abstention of 12 deputies, including almost every PAN delegate. PRD deputy Ana Bernal's proposed land tax was shot down 25-9, reducing the PRD's popularity to 14.29%. Despite the economic downturn, the Chamber voted 36-2 to approve an ambulance service and 39-1 to approve retirement homes. At the start of 2001, the economy sank into a recession, causing the Chamber to vote 35-3 to approve an income tax proposed by PAN deputy Amanda Cerveza. PAN deputy Cristina Uva's proposed legislation to set an 80% threshold for constitutional amendments was approved in a 33-1 vote. At the next election, the PRD vote collapsed as socialism declined in popularity and PAN gained additional support due to its sound economic policies. The PRI's vote fell to 48.21% and 19 seats, PAN rose to 41.07% and 17 seats, and the PRD collapsed to 10.72% and 4 seats. The ensuing presidential election (with 53.7% turnout) saw Nieves win re-election with 47% of the vote to PAN candidate Rodrigo Almonte's 37.9% and PRD candidate Fernanda Aguirre's 15.2%. Shortly after, the PRI raised $320 million in fundraising money, while PAN raised $273 million and PRD raised $86 million.
Nieves' third term began with a slight economic recovery, and the Chamber voted 35-0 against PRI legislator Rodrigo Nieves Luna's proposed abolition of public housing. The Chamber then voted 22-16 to fund high schools over theatres (backed by PAN), 14-8 against legalizing prostitution (with 15 abstentions, mostly from PAN and PRI; all of the PRD voted against it), and 14-12 against Nicastro's second proposed bill to abolish the agricultural subsidy. By late 2001, PRI polled at 46.8% of the vote, PAN dropped to 39.4%, and the PRD slightly rose to 13.8% due to a PRD television ad attacking the PAN opposition. Shortly after, the Chamber voted 32-1 to approve road maintenance and 28-2 to keep the alcohol tax. In the ensuing election, PRI's support dropped to 45.61% and 18 seats, PAN dropped to 39.51% and 16 seats, and the PRD rose to 14.88% and 6 seats, regaining their former seat count and some of their earlier vote. In the week between the parliamentary election and the presidential election, the chamber voted 26-5 to approve a pollution tax to keep the economy recovering; that same week, it finally reached positive levels again. A week later, Nieves was re-elected with 39.2% of the vote to Almonte's 32.4% and Aguirre's 28.4%, the PRD's best yet presidential election performance.
Swift recovery[]
Nieves' fourth term saw miraculous economic growth, and the Chamber voted 17-11 to keep the income tax, despite half of PRI and a third of PAN's opposition. Nieves and the PRI were worried about their fundraising failure that year; the PRI raised just $276 million, while PAN nearly beat them with $274 million, and the PRD's fundraising boomed to $124 million. The Chamber then voted 32-1 to approve a robbery penalty, and, in mid-2002, new elections were held. Sure enough, the PRI suffered disappointing results. The PRI's lead fell to 43.4% of the vote and 17 seats, while PAN rose to 39.71% and 16 seats and the PRD rose to 16.89% and 7 seats. In the week between elections, the Chamber voted 20-7 against PRI legislator Juliana Orellana's proposed 8% election threshold. In the ensuing presidential election (with 57.4% turnout), Nieves was re-elected with 42.4% of the vote to Almonte's 36.5% and Aguirre's 21.2%, an improvement for the PRI and PAN and a decline in support for Aguirre; however, that same week, the PRD's support levels reached a new high of 17.19%. The PRD's support increased after they opposed a 32-1 vote to abolish housing, as proposed by conservative PRI deputy Mariana Guerrero. The Chamber then voted 17-8 to keep a pollution tax, 20-14 in favor of funding highways over theaters, 25-7 in favor of lowering the voting age to 15 (although the bill failed due to its failure to meet the 80% threshold), 35-2 to approve a scholarship, 23-7 against legalizing prostitution, 38-1 in favor of an air pollution monitor, 33-6 against repealing road maintenance.
In late January 2003, PAN suffered two setbacks, the first being the death of its leader Rodrigo Almonte at the age of 67, and the second being its fundraising setback. PAN only raised $251 million, while PRI fell to $259 million and the PRD rose to $136 million. Through running an attack ad against the PRI, the PRD destroyed the PRI's parliamentary majority at the next election. PAN won 41.82% of the vote and 17 seats, while the PRI fell to 39.54% and 16 seats and the PRD rose to 18.63% and 7 seats. At the next presidential election, Nieves narrowly won re-election with 39.8% of the vote to PAN candidate Alberto Morena's 38.8% and Aguirre's 21.4%.
Nieves' fifth term began with a devastating tsunami, but the PRD rose in popularity after donating $35 million for disaster relief efforts. Early in the year, a volcanic eruption occurred as well. The Chamber then voted 35-2 to approve government-funded primary education, and, a week later, a poll seemingly confirmed popular support for Nieves, as 50.6% of voters preferred a woman for president, while 49.4% preferred a man. The Chamber then voted 31-5 to keep the pollution tax and 27-5 to approve sex education classes. These new expenditures led to a slight decline in the economy; at the time of the sex ed law, the government budget was $247 million, but it began to decrease by $1 million a week. The Chamber then voted 28-5 to keep the alcohol tax and 24-7 to keep the scholarship. In the election of mid-2003, PAN fell to 39.55% of the vote and 16 seats, the PRI fell to 38.85% and 15 seats, and the PRD rose to 21.6% and 9 seats. In the ensuing presidential election, Nieves won re-election to a sixth term with 38.8% of the vote to Morena's 37.1% and Aguirre's 24.1%. The PRI picked up an additional seat four weeks later when newly-elected PRD deputy Pedro Frios defected to the PRI.
Rise of the PRD[]
During Nieves' sixth term, the Chamber voted 23-7 against legalizing prostitution, 34-1 against abolishing the robbery penalty, 20-6 in favor of national parks, and 28-1 to approve a bus transport service, even as the economy fell to $178 million by the last vote. The Chamber then voted 22-8 to keep the agricultural subsidy and 26-9 to keep the air pollution monitor. By the start of 2004, Mexico had cumulatively lost $66 million since the year before, but $1 million dark dollars were cleansed from politics and the population grew by 48 million. At the start of the year, all parties made fundraising gains, with PAN making the most with $271 million, the PRI making $267 million, and the PRD making $184 million. Shortly after, the Chamber voted 17-14 to abolish sex education classes, 24-4 to keep public housing, and 27-8 to approve a driving license (with only the PRD dissenting). At the general election of early 2004, PAN fell to 37.39% of the vote and 15 seats, PRI fell to 35.74% and 14 seats, and the PRD rose to 26.87% and 11 seats. The economy began to decline by $3 million a week, and PRI deputy Rodrigo Kemp died in the same week as the presidential election. In the ensuing election, Nieves won with 41% of the vote to Morena's 33.6% and Aguirre's 25.4%, carrying her over for a seventh term.
The PRD continued to rise in popularity in the following weeks, making $2 million a week and rising to 27.32% of the vote a week after the election. The PRD donated $35 million to disaster relief efforts after another tsunami, and the Chamber went on to vote 17-8 in favor of keeping primary education (even as the economy fell by $5 million a week), 26-4 in favor of a car tax, and 22-6 in favor of a housing tax, returning the economy to a weekly growth of $3 million by the time the economy fell to $60 million. A PRD-proposed press freedom bill failed 22-11, with all of the PRI and all but one of the PAN deputies voting against it, but the Chamber went on to vote 22-6 to legalize gambling, 28-4 against legalizing prostitution, 24-5 to approve arts subsidies, and 26-11 to approve sex education. In the general election held a week later, in late 2004, the PAN fell to 35.99% and 14 seats, PRI fell to 35.34% and 14 seats, and the PRD rose to 28.68% and 12 seats. The ensuing presidential election saw Nieves win by a razor-thin margin, winning 36.9% of the vote to Alberto Morena's 36.2% and Aguirre's 26.9%.
Nieves' eighth term began with a constitutional amendment to reduce the amendment threshold to 50%, passing in a vote of 35-3. By the start of 2005, Mexico's population had grown by 50 million, the budget had fallen to $82 million, the amount of dark money in politics had risen to $2 million, and voter turnout rose by 5.28%. The year began with a devastating flood, and Nieves' popularity was harmed by a poll in which 52.9% of voters stated their preference for a male president and 47.1% for a woman. In the fundraising season of March 2005, the PRD improved their fundraising to $205 million, while PAN and PRI both raised $243 million each. The Chamber then voted 28-5 in favor of a national football league. In the elections of early 2005, PRI won 34.07% of the vote and 14 seats, with PAN coming in second with 33.91% and 13 seats and the PRD coming in third with 32.02% and 13 seats. Nieves narrowly won re-election with 35.3% of the vote to Morena's 31.7% and Aguirre's 33.1%; this was the first time that the PRD had become one of the top two finalists, and the first time that the PAN was not among the top two.
Downfall[]
Nieves' ninth term saw the Chamber vote 30-4 in favor of the protection of plant varieties, 19-14 against an 8% electoral threshold, 25-5 against legalizing prostitution, 16-15 to keep the housing tax, 30-4 to host the Olympic Games, and 25-8 to keep public housing. A week before the general election, the PRD clenched 33.11% of the vote after a 5 Estrellas attack ad against the PRI government, and this materialized into 33.56% and 13 seats at the general election. They surpassed the PRI's 32.11% and 13 seats, but fell behind PAN's 34.32% and 14 seats. By the time of the break week, the national budget was at just $41 million with a weekly decline of $2 million. In the presidential election of 31 December 2020, Nieves was narrowly re-elected with 37.3% of the vote to Morena's 35.3% and Aguirre's 27.3%, clinching a tenth term and a fifth consecutive year in office. By 2006, the population had increased by 43 million to 364 million, the budget had fallen by $49 million, corrupt money had increased by $1 million, and the number of registered voters rose by 4.75%. However, the year's budget started at $37 million with a projected weekly decline of $2 million.
In the third week of 2006, the PRD outraised the other parties with $238 million, while PAN raised $232 million and the PRI suffered a humiliatingly low $213 million gain. The Chamber voted 17-13 to keep the car tax and 33-2 to raise the constitutional amendment threshold to 75%, while the Chamber voted 18-10 to abolish the bus transport service. In the election of early 2006, the PRD emerged as the largest party with 39.56% of the vote and 16 seats, trailed by PAN with 33.28% and 13 seats and the PRI with 27.16% and 11 seats. In the ensuing presidential election, Nieves won 34.8% to Morena's 33.5% and Aguirre's 31.6%, cheating the PRD out of their much-anticipated rise to power (even as their nationwide popularity rose to 40.86% that same week).
The Chamber then voted 30-3 to approve universal healthcare, even as the economy reached negative $49 million with a weekly loss of $1 million. The PRD responded by initiating an effort to abolish the national football league, which was abolished in a 17-6 vote (with 15 abstentions from the other parties). The Chamber then voted 30-5 to keep the robbery penalty, and the economy stagnated at negative $50 million. The Chamber went on to vote 22-14 against PRD deputy Dilma Jacinto's proposed highway tolls, but PRD deputy Diego Olivares proposed to abolish the driving license, with his law being approved 26-6. The PRD then abstained from a vote to abolish the agricultural subsidy, which passed 19-3 (with 17 abstentions). The PRD also abstained from a 16-3 vote to abolish government-funded primary education (with 18 abstentions), and the economy, now at negative $61 million, began to recover $2 million per week. The Chamber went on to vote 22-14 to approve a postal service, even though the economy was still suffering from high debt, and the debt escalated to $68 million, although still with a $2 million weekly improvement. By the start of 2007, Mexico's population had increased by 47 million, its budget had fallen by $103 million, and its registered voter count rose by 7.55%. In the presidential election of early 2007, the PRD's share of the vote rose to 40.9% and 16 seats, PAN's vote fell to 30.16% and 12 seats, and the PRI rose to 28.94% and 12 seats, stealing a seat from the PAN. In the presidential election held two weeks later, the PRD won the election with 35.6% of the vote, followed by PAN's 32.5% and PRI's 31.9%. Nieves left office after seven consecutive years in power, and Fernanda Aguirre became the new President.