President Vicente Fox
Mexico’s former President Vicente Fox Quesada, was a Mexican businessman and politician before he became the 55th President of Mexico as the first opposition candidate in the National Action Party to defeat an incumbent of the Institutional Revolutionary Party since Francisco Madero in 1910. After serving as President of Mexico from December 1, 2000 to November 30, 2006, he returned to his home state of Guanajuato to pursue a number of humanitarian projects and development of the Vicente Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum through his organization Centro Fox. Since leaving office, he has also actively advocated for drug policy reform and frequently speaks on the topic at international conventions. Having seen a dramatic decrease in illicit drug use and incarceration after Mexico decriminalized drug possession in 2009, he attributes to the militarization of drug enforcement in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to a recent upsurge in cartel violence causing countless deaths and diplomatic tensions. In May of 2018, President Fox will host world leaders at an International Congress on Drug Policy to address these issues and advocate for change.