MEXICO.- President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, said that he's leaving a country with many advances, some of them historic ones in matters of health and education although he admitted that there is still much to do while giving today the final report of his term.

"Many challenges were unprecedented due to their size and adversity, but we faced them all with determination and decision," stated the leader who is reaching the last stretch of his term of office with a 46 percent of popularity, his lowest point since he was appointed as president in December of 2006.

In a long speech given in the National Palace before politic leaders, businessmen, diplomats and civil representatives, he explained that the hardest challenge was the criminal violence.

Criminal organizations, committed to drug dealing, kidnapping, extortion and human trafficking among other crimes, were severely confronted so that Mexico could move on through the "long way to a full, safe and free life," he said.

That decision meant the deployment of thousands of soldiers and federal policemen to the most conflictive areas in the country "without inhibiting (the) freedoms and rights" of Mexican citizens, but it stopped "criminals from taking control of the State," he pointed.

"For many years, while crime got stronger, the State weakened," continued Calderón, who assured that thanks to his "comprehensive" strategy of security, this trend was reverted without ever having to declare a "State of Emergency."

Among the achievements, the president cited the reform of penal justice, the strengthening of security institutions and the creation of an office that tended to victims of violence that has been harshly criticized by poet Javier Sicilia.

According to many civil organizations, one of them being the Movement of Peace with Justice and Dignity led by Sicilia, the institution "turns the victim into a passive objective of welfare attention instead of recognizing them as a holder of rights."

In his opinion, current politics are so poor that they respond to the "national emergency" with "palliative care" and institutions like Províctivma are blemished with "contempt for the victims," by not recognizing that they have also suffered "State violence."

In a message that lacked self-criticism, the leader who in many occasions met with victims' organizations, admitted that there are "still many years (to go) before results can be seen" regarding his efforts in the subject of security.

The violence wave that Calderón attributed to the territorial expansion of the drug cartels and to the weapon flow from the United States has caused around 50,000 deaths since December of 2006, although civil organizations say the number is well over 70,000.

In other areas there have been improvements "of which we should feel proud of, especially about the universal health care," and the access to elementary school and junior high school that all children and teens will have next year, he said.

Regarding the economy, he stated that Mexico has been continuously growing for three years (an accumulated GDP of almost 16 percent), has international reserves of over 160,000 million dollars and over 2.2 million of new employees since 2007 which comes with the lowest unemployment rate from the OECD nations.

The president also detailed that this was the "infrastructure sexennial" due to the funds invested in ports, airports and railroads.

He explained how during the last six years over 20,000 km of roads have been constructed, a distance similar to that from the North Pole to the South Pole, as well as 90 tunnels in difficult-access areas.

In the same vein, he emphasized that during his administration, 100 percent restitution to oil reserves was achieved as well as reminding people about the "big oilfield" found deep under the Gulf of Mexico.

Mexico is becoming a middle class society that has transformed in all aspects and, despite the global economic and alimentary crisis, inequality decreased while the number of people who can meet their basic needs went up.

Regardless of the improvements achieved in the last years there is still "lagging that keeps millions of Mexicans in exclusion and misery," around 50 million, according to official data, for which he urged for reforms that generate employment and social justice.

He admitted that the development reached is not enough, but according to him is understandable due to the lack of reforms that have been denied either for ideological reasons or politic calculations; he trusts that the new Congress will be able to overcome the differences.

Finally, he asked the Mexican people to support his successor, Enrique Peña Nieto, from the Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI), who next December 01 will assume the presidency despite the left wing not recognizing his victory.

"I know very well the need a president has for everybody's collaboration to help Mexico move forward," said Calderón who is to yield his title to Peña Nieto in a ceremony at the Congress that will signal the PRI's return to the Presidency after losing the elections in 2000 against the National Action Party (PAN).

Editorial@sandiegored.com

Original Text : EFE Agency

Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com