MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fox takes office in Mexico.

In a historical ceremony that marked the end of the 71 year rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI, Vicente Fox took the oath of office Friday December lst. as the new president of Mexico, a country that has become the United States main trading partner, ahead of China, Japan and Canada.

Mr. Fox inherits a country with strong economic activity, (7,5%), huge oil reserves, one digit inflation and an almost balanced budget plus the first time in recent history that no financial crisis threatens the change of government.

However 40 of the 100 million Mexicans live in extreme poverty, government corruption and street delinquency are rampant, the rule of the law is questioned and true democracy is just really beginning after 71 years of an almost one party system.

Mr. Fox, farmer, former Mexican Coca Cola CEO, who likes to wear cowboy boots said in his inaugural speech that "my boots are firmly planted on the ground, I look reality in the face and never turn my back on it", adding that "I will govern with no personality cult and without the assumption that the country is my fiefdom". But in anticipation of some of the challenges of his administration, PRI members who hold a majority in Congress booed Fox's speech and didn't even grant him a welcome applause.

Contrary to tradition Mr. Fox chose a cabinet mainly of businessmen (left wing press named it "Mexico Inc."), but among them are some outstanding personalities as Finance Minister Gil Díaz, considered a tax revenue expert and Jorge Castañeda, a left leaning academic who could introduce changes to the country's historical "hands off" and no intervention policy.

In an unprecedented gesture, Mr. Fox begun his inaugural day with a mass in a church for Mexico's patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe. Mexico's presidents have shunned displays of religious fervour since the 18th. century campaign against the dominance of the Catholic Church.

Thousands of Mexicans lined the streets of Mexico City as president Fox came out of Congress greeting him with chants of "Viva Vicente". However in spite of the political optimism following the collapse of the dominance of the PRI, some political commentators warn about disappointments, because corruption, inefficiency, poverty and crime are too deeply ingrained to be rapidly eliminated.