Carlos Salinas

Carlos Salinas de Gortari (born 3 April 1948) was President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994.

Accomplishments

While an overall analysis of his term remains a controversial topic in Mexican politics, Carlos Salinas de Gortari's term made significant changes (either positive or negative depending on the critics) in the following areas:

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• Renegotiated the external debt. Had he not accomplished the renegotation, the country would have defaulted in 1989-1990.
• From 1975-1988, inflation had reached historical levels, up to a peak of 159.17% in 1987, a year before his term started. By the end of his term, inflation had been reduced to 7.05% in 1994, the lowest figure in 22 years.
• From 1975-1988, the peso had devaluated from 12.50 MXP per dollar, to 2650.00 MXP per dollar. During his term, the peso devaluated from 2650.00 MXP to 3600.00 MXP or 3.60 MXN (a new system he introduced), by 30 November, 1994, the last day of his term; thus the peso devaluated far less than it had in the two previous terms.
• He reformed the Electoral System, making it citizen-controlled, and independent of the Department of Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación) and introduced the "Credencial para Votar" (Voting Credential) as the universal and free I.D. in Mexico (thus, automatically registring all citizens in the electoral system, allowing them to vote withough bureaucratical hindrances and without pre-registring as in the US). The 1994 election were the first to have international observers, and were considered, at that time, the fairest elections in the century, though not free of controversy.
• He reformed the Clerical Laws which had forbidden catholic priests from their citizen's right to vote, and established a new relationship between State and Church, which had been severely damaged after the Cristero War. The new laws also allowed the Catholic churches to own their own buildings (which had been nationalized).
• Negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement, with the United States and Canada.