Mexico’s former president Vicente Fox has walked back his words about helping Felipe Calderón, president from 2006 to 2012, win the 2006 presidential election. In a statement on Saturday 14 November 2026, Fox said Calderón was elected by millions of voters and that nobody should claim credit for what they expressed at the ballot box.
The statement ends ten days of political fire in Mexico City. It also leaves the sitting president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and her Morena party (the governing left-wing movement) with a question about how to treat the 2006 result.
Key Facts
—Retraction. Vicente Fox, Mexico’s president from 2000 to 2006, walked back his claim on 14 November 2026.
—Original claim. Fox said “Hice que ganara Calderón” (“I made Calderón win”) in an early November interview.
—2006 result. Calderón won by 233,831 votes, about 0.56 points, declared president-elect on 5 September 2006.
—Government reaction. President Sheinbaum called Fox’s remarks proof that Calderón’s presidency was spurious on 6 November, and asked for an investigation on 11 November.
—As of. 14 November 2026, 23:30 GMT.
—Power Index Mexico ranks 2nd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 70.8 points (November 2026 edition).
Fox is the man who ended 71 years of one-party rule in 2000. His change of tone matters because Mexico’s left has argued for years that the 2006 election was stolen.
What Fox Said and What He Took Back
In an interview in early November, Fox said “Hice que ganara Calderón, aunque no es muy democrático decir eso” (“I made Calderón win, though it is not very democratic to say so”). The exact date of that interview is not confirmed.
On 9 November Fox said in a separate interview that he had acted at the limit and denied committing fraud or altering results. His communiqué of 14 November, shared on social media, goes further.
It says “nadie debe intentar adjudicarse lo que millones de mexicanos expresaron en las urnas” (“nobody should try to claim what millions of Mexicans expressed at the ballot box”). Fox also says he respects the institutions that ran and certified the vote, and asks the country to look ahead.
What Sheinbaum Said
On 6 November, at her daily morning news conference, Sheinbaum said Fox’s remarks proved her view that Calderón’s presidency was “spurious”. On 11 November she called for an investigation of the 2006 election.
Morena’s national leader, Ariadna Montiel, then said the party would ask the Chamber of Deputies, Mexico’s lower house, for a special commission and would file a complaint with the electoral authority. Montiel acknowledged that the legal deadline to challenge the 2006 result has expired.
The Official 2006 Record
The Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF), Mexico’s top electoral court, declared Calderón president-elect on 5 September 2006. Its final count gave him 14,916,927 votes against 14,683,096 for Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the leftist runner-up who later became president, a gap of 233,831 votes or about 0.56 percentage points.
The tribunal found the election valid, but it also said that statements by the then president had put the fairness of the vote at risk. It did not find that his intervention changed the outcome.
Why It Matters
Mexico is a close trading partner of the United States, and trust in its election bodies shapes how investors and governments judge its institutions. The 2006 margin of 233,831 votes (tribunal count, 5 September 2006) shows how little separated the two camps, which is why every new remark from a former president reopens an old argument.
A walk-back does not settle that argument. Morena can still pursue a political inquiry even though no court case is possible.
What It Means for You
For most readers this is a political story, not a market one: nothing in it changes Mexican law, trade rules or travel conditions. It does show how the 2006 contest still defines the language of Mexican politics.
Readers following Mexico should watch whether Morena’s commission request moves in the Chamber of Deputies. No date for a vote has been announced.
What Is Not Known
The date of Fox’s first interview and the exact platform of his 14 November communiqué are not confirmed in the sources we checked. We also do not know whether Fox will face any formal complaint over his remarks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Vicente Fox admit to fraud in 2006?
No. In his 9 November interview he denied committing fraud or altering results, and his 14 November statement says Calderón was elected by millions of Mexican voters.
How close was the 2006 election?
Felipe Calderón won by 233,831 votes, or about 0.56 percentage points, in the final count of the Federal Electoral Tribunal. The tribunal declared him president-elect on 5 September 2006.
What does Morena want now?
Morena, the governing party, says it will ask the Chamber of Deputies for a special commission on 2006. Its leader, Ariadna Montiel, has acknowledged that the legal deadline to challenge the vote has passed.
Sources
Statement of Vicente Fox, 14 November 2026; Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF), declaration of president-elect, 5 September 2006, te.gob.mx; Presidency of Mexico, morning news conferences, 6 and 11 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error