12
February 2015
Past Event
Is Mexico's Peña Nieto Already a Spent Force or Can He Turn Things Around?

Is Mexico's Peña Nieto Already a Spent Force or Can He Turn Things Around?

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
February 12, 2015
Default Event Image
12
February 2015
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Speakers:
Robert L. Pfaltzgraff, Jr.

President, Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis, Inc.

Luis Rubio

Chairman, Center of Research for Development

Hector Schamis

Adjunct Professor, Center for Latin American Studies and the Democracy & Governance Program, Georgetown University

Miguel E. Basáñez

Professor, Culture and Development & Director, Judiciary Reform Program, Tufts University

After a contentious 2012 presidential election, Mexico’s future looked bright. A young reformer, the newly elected Enrique Peña Nieto, promised to overhaul Mexico’s sclerotic political and economic institutions, kick-start growth, and end once and for all the corruption that has plagued the country.

But despite his initial popularity and success, things have begun to unravel for Peña Nieto. A major security crisis erupted when dozens of students were murdered with the compliance of corrupt police forces and local mayors. Economic growth stagnated. Peña Nieto and his wife faced corruption allegations involving their ties to the large companies that dominate the Mexican economy.

How can Peña Nieto turn things around? Is it already too late? To address these questions, Hudson Institute hosted a panel on Thursday, February 12th featuring Luis Rubio, Robert Pfaltzgraff, Hector Schamis, and Miguel Basáñez.

__Hudson Institute is grateful to the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation for its generous support for this series of conferences.__

Related Events
14
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Somaliland as a Strategic Partner in the Horn of Africa
Featured Speakers:
Joshua Meservey
President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi ("Irro")
Somaliland President
14
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Somaliland as a Strategic Partner in the Horn of Africa

In his first visit to the United States since winning the presidency in November 2024, Somaliland President Abdirahman “Irro” Mohamed Abdullahi will deliver a keynote speech at Hudson Institute followed by a fireside chat with Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey.
 

Somaliland President
Featured Speakers:
Joshua Meservey
President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi ("Irro")
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Contested Lebanon: Israel, Iran, and US Strategy in a Fractured State
Featured Speakers:
Ludovic Hood
Hagar Chemali
Joel Rayburn
Hussain Abdul Hussain
Rubio
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Contested Lebanon: Israel, Iran, and US Strategy in a Fractured State

Experts from leading Washington think tanks will come together to discuss the prospects for stability in Lebanon and for future Israeli-Lebanese relations.

Rubio
Featured Speakers:
Ludovic Hood
Hagar Chemali
Joel Rayburn
Hussain Abdul Hussain
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Senator Pete Ricketts on the Next Phase of Competition with China
Featured Speakers:
Joel Scanlon
Pete Ricketts
Ricketts
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Senator Pete Ricketts on the Next Phase of Competition with China

Join Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, for a discussion on the state of the United States–China relationship and Congress’s role in the competition.  

Ricketts
Featured Speakers:
Joel Scanlon
Pete Ricketts
16
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Transatlantic Watchtower: Iceland’s Role in Great Power Competition
Featured Speakers:
Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir
Daniel Kochis
a
16
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Transatlantic Watchtower: Iceland’s Role in Great Power Competition

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, member of the Icelandic Parliament and leader of the Independence Party, on great power dynamics, Iceland’s role in transatlantic security, and bilateral cooperation.

a
Featured Speakers:
Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir
Daniel Kochis