Zedillo, Ernesto

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Zedillo, Ernesto (1951– ) President of Mexico (1994–2000). Zedillo joined the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 1971, and in 1994 stood for president after the PRI's candidate Luis Colosio was assassinated. He received just over 50% of the vote. He promised to combat unemployment and tackle the failing economy. Within a few months, however, he was forced to devalue the peso, despite his earlier successes in government finance.