Vicente Fox was elected president of Mexico in 2000 and served for six years. His election was the first for the conservative National Action Party in 71 years, and helped spark talks with the United States on drugs and immigration. Before serving his country, he built up his business background and leadership skills as governor of Guanajuato, where he built the country's economy to one of the largest in Mexico.
Since leaving office in 2006, he has written his memoirs, guided the creation of hispresidential library, and has traveled abroad as a public speaker. Before he appears tonight at Powell Hall, St. Louis Public Radio’s Erin Williams spoke with Fox on what he feels Congress needs to understand about immigration issues, what he feels the President is doing right, and on dealing with violent drug cartels in Mexico.
“The Republican party made mistake after mistake after mistake in not considering this huge energy and resource, which is migration and migrants. Each one of them is a human being of a very special caste. Migrants take risks, migrants have strong commitment with success," said Fox. "Look further back where you come from, and you have a migrant origin, whether from Africa, Asia, Mexico, Latin America, Europe. And that’s what make this nation so strong – that migrant spirit of rebellion, of accomplishment, of sacrifice, loyalty and quality. My dear Mexican migrants in the United States – everybody should be very proud of them.”
Fox will be speaking tonight at Powell Hall as part of the St. Louis Speaker’s Series presented by Maryville University.