By Enrique Pena Nieto, the 45-year-old former governor of Mexico State, is the new president of Mexico, a country where one drug-related murder is committed every 10 hours, according to the latest estimates from law enforcement agencies in Mexico and the U.S.
In his victory speech, Pena Nieto promised citizens he would make the country's streets safer - but would not declare all-out war against the drug cartels. That confusing position was peculiarly accepted by his supporters who have been besieged by drug violence over the last six years of outgoing President Felipe Calderon's rule.
At least 55,000 lives were lost in drug-related fights during Calderon's six-year term in office, according to the media in Mexico. Calderon couldn't run in the July 1 presidential election because Presidents in Mexico are elected for six-year terms.
Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as PRI, had ruled Mexico for 70 years before being ousted in the 2000 election. It was once called 'the perfect dictatorship.' The PRI placed third in the 2006 election and was considered at that time to be a withering party with no hope of ever ruling the country again.
Pena Nieto won with 38 percent of the vote from 143,000 precincts. There are 79 million registered voters in Mexico which has a population of 114 million. Pena Nieto's leftist rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. carried 32 percent of the vote.
Lopez Obrador could choose to challenge the election, as he did six years ago when he narrowly lost to Calderon and launched months of protests against alleged fraud.
Josefina Vazquez Mota of the ruling National Action Party, or PAN, trailed with less than 26 percent of the vote. She would have been Mexico's first female president if she had won.
Pena Nieto also told cheering supporters he would work for a better trade relationship with the U.S.
"Mexicans have given our party another chance," Pena Nieto told followers inside PRI headquarters in Mexico City. "We are going to honor it with results."
He has pledged to boost economic growth to about 6 percent a year and make bold economic changes, including reforms to allow more private investment in Mexico's state-run oil industry.
Pena Nieto built his reputation as governor of the State of Mexico in 2005-2011, where he oversaw solid economic growth and reduced the state government's debt.
Pena Nieto's plans include raising tax revenues, a business-friendly overhaul of labor laws and steps to open the struggling state-owned oil giant Pemex to more private investment.
