Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will host a small and scaled back Independence Day party Monday night, but has also given himself a raise.
The embattled Mexican leader has chosen to not have a particularly lavish celebration at the Government Palace, as his approval ratings are at 35 percent and he finds himself embroiled in scandal. Pena Nieto, however, has chosen to bump up his salary by almost 14,000 pesos, just over $700. Pena Nieto will earn just shy of $125,000 in 2017, according to the government’s proposed budget for the year.
Typically on Independence Day, the Mexican president hosts hundreds of guests, including multiple politicians, soccer stars, telenovela actors, and important businessmen. Pena Nieto is instead having a small, low-key affair that will consist of his cabinet ministers along with some diplomats and their spouses.
The president traditionally goes to the balcony accompanied by his wife and quotes, at length, the words of Mexico’s founding fathers as they declared war against their Spanish colonizers.
Many protesters are expected to be in the square below instead of adoring supporters, so the president’s remarks will be limited to 10 minutes before fireworks get underway. Diplomats and cabinet ministers who will attend the president’s celebration are advised to steer clear of balconies at the Government Palace for their own safety.
The Mexican leader has found himself with few friends in the press and the public in the wake of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s visit to Mexico. Much of the Mexican media was enraged that the president did not make a point of explicitly confronting Trump and demanding an apology to the Mexican people for his campaign rhetoric and policy proposals.
In the aftermath of Trump’s trip south of the border, Pena Nieto had a cabinet reshuffle, which involved the country’s Finance Minister Luis Videgaray stepping down. Videgaray reportedly was the member of Pena Nieto’s inner circle who advocated for inviting Trump to Mexico.
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