Mexico

President Felipe Calderón, National Action Party (PAN) was elected on July 2, 2006. However, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the Democratic Revolution Party candidate contested these results. On September 5, Calderón, s victory was upheld by a special electoral court. Prior to Calderón, Vicente Fox of the PAN served as president, and ended over 70 years of single party dominance in Mexican politics by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (or PRI). Current issues of importance for Mexico include: immigration policy with the United States, support of the Free Trade Area of the America's initiative, the privatization of state-owned electrical and oil industries, and greater rights for Mexico's indigenous peoples. With its shared border with the United States, Mexico's cultural heritage has become ingrained into American society and Mexico continues to be a major trading partner of the United States thus linking the futures of these two countries.