Enrique Peña Nieto Time Cover: Did Mexican President Pay For Magazine Cover?

Enrique Peña Nieto recently graced the cover of Time Magazine, represented as Mexico's 'savior.' However, reports have emerged that suggest the Mexican President may have paid Time Warner Inc., Time Magazine's parent company, in order to appear on the magazine cover. A report from the government's General Direction for Communication Standards indicates that Peña Nieto's government paid Time Warner almost $50,000 in October 2013.

The report, titled 'Information Concerning the Execution and Programming of Campaigns and Social Communication of The Federal Government In the Fiscal Year 2013' shows two payments made to Warner: one for $480,000.43 pesos and the second for $96,000.35 pesos, totaling $576,000 pesos, or $43,000 US dollars. The report does not specify what the funds were used for, however, given the outrage the magazine cover has sparked in Mexico it has given rise to speculation that Peña Nieto paid his way to the front.

Enrique Peña Nieto's Tim Magazine cover has caused extraordinary uproar in Mexico as many feel that the idea of this president 'saving' Mexico is laughable. Indeed, in November last year, Human Rights Watch wrote an open letter to the President "to express our deep disappointment with his failure to make progress on addressing serious human rights abuses in Mexico." As crime and unrest rapidly rises across the country, it is indeed tempting to think that Mr. Peña Nieto's cover came from his pocket rather than his achievements.

However, at this point it remains as speculation: Warner is listed among dozens of other media publications and in any case it unlikely that a magazine of Time's standing would be willing to accept fifty thousand dollars to compromise its integrity. Nonetheless, it does highlight a particular schism in society between the public, international perception of the Mexican President and the indignant sentiments of his people.