A mere youth?
Reading the foreign press about Enrique Peña Neito, there’s there’s this continual meme that he is young and dynamic. In a piece for the New York Times, published under his name, the age theme is repeated:
To those concerned about a return to old ways, fear not. At 45, I am part of a generation of PRI politicians committed to democracy.
Maybe 45 is the new 30, as in don’t trust anyone over… but besides not really reassuring anyone that he is somehow committed to a “new” PRI, he is not really young for a Mexican President. The presidents since the Revolution, and the ages at which they assumed officer were:
| Francisco Madero. | 37 |
| Pedro Lascuráin | 57 |
| Victoriano Huerta | 63 |
| Francisco Carvajal | 43 |
| Venustiano Carranza | 55 |
| Adolfo de la Huerta | 39 |
| Álvaro Obregón | 40 |
| Plutarco Élias Calles | 47 |
| Emilio Portes Gil | 50 |
| Pascal Ortiz Rubio | 53 |
| Abelardo Rodriquez | 43 |
| Lazaro Cardenas | 39 |
| Manuel Ávila Camacho | 43 |
| Miguel Alemán | 46 |
| Adolfo Ruíz Cortines | 62 |
| Adolfo López Mateos | 48 |
| Gustavo Díaz Ordaz | 47 |
| Luis Echeverría | 48 |
| José López Portillo | 56 |
| Miguel de la Madrid | 48 |
| Carlos Salinas de Gortari | 40 |
| Ernesto Zedillo | 41 |
| Vicente Fox | 58 |
| Felipe Calderón | 44 |
The average is a little under 48 years of age. Take out Pedro Lascaráin (who was only President for 45 minutes until Huerta assumed office), Victoriano Huerta, and Francisco Carvajal (who lasted four weeks after Huerta fled the country) — none of them elected presidents — and the average is 46 years old… (I suppose you could also take out the 50 year old Emilio Portes Gil — who was chosen by the Chamber of Deputies to replace the 48 year old president-elect Alvaro Obregón after his assassination, but it really wouldn’t change the average).
Peña Neito’s 46th birthday is later this month (the 20th, if you want to send a card… or better yet, ask him for an Soriana Card), so fear not… at the worst, in at least in one thing, he be an average President.
