Enrique Pena Nieto was born on 20 July 1966 in Atlacomulco, State of Mexico, a city 55 miles (89 km) northwest of Mexico City. He is the oldest of four siblings; his father, Gilberto Enrique Pena del Mazo, was an electrical engineer; his mother, Maria del Perpetuo Socorro Ofelia Nieto Sanchez, a schoolteacher. He is the nephew of two former governors of the State of Mexico: on his mother's side, Arturo Montiel (whom business magazine Forbes listed in 2013, as one of the ten most corrupt Mexican politicians); on his father's, Alfredo del Mazo Gonzalez.
Special economic zones
At the end of May 2016, Pena Nieto signed a law that will create special economic zones in economically underdeveloped southern states. The first three are: Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan; Port Chiapas, Chiapas; and in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to better join the ports of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz and Salina Cruz, Oaxaca. Another zone in the petroleum region of Tabasco and Campeche, hit by the downturn in the oil industry, is planned for 2017.  The special economic zones are meant to alleviate the lack of industry in the South. During the signing, Pena Nieto highlighted the difference between the South and the industrial North and Center of Mexico: two of every three people in extreme poverty in Mexico live in the southern states. While the three poorest states (Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero) have about 10% of the population, they only receive $1 of every $36 in foreign direct investment in the country. He went on to say that there are two Mexicos; one "that competes and wins in the global economy, with growing levels of income, development and well-being", while the other Mexico "has been left behind [and] hasn't been able to take advantage of its potential."  The special economic zones will offer tax incentives (exemption from the 16% VAT), trade and customs benefits and the streamlining of regulatory processes. There will also be an increase in infrastructure spending in these regions. Private administrators will run the zones on 40-year contracts (managing infrastructure and attracting tenants). According to Pena Nieto, at the latest, each of these zones will have an anchor tenant that will attract suppliers and other industries in the supply chain by 2018. The World Bank advised Mexico during the formulation of the special economic zones plan.

Q: What were the special economic zones?
A: At the end of May 2016, Pena Nieto signed a law that will create special economic zones in economically underdeveloped southern states.
Why did he create the zones?
The special economic zones are meant to alleviate the lack of industry in the South.
The special economic zones are meant to alleviate the lack of industry in the South.