Josefina Vázquez Mota is the nominee of the incumbent National Political Action Party in Mexico’s July 1, 2012 presidential election. Before talking about her hopes for her country, she sat down in the Zócalo green room to talk about her fan mail, the American president she admires most, and why she tries to laugh every day.
Q. Do you have any recurring dreams or nightmares?
A. [Laughs.] No, but I have a recurring dream, and it’s a real dream: the dream of a daily life in which things will look better. And, generally speaking, I don’t have a lot of nightmares.
Q. What’s the last book you read?
A. I’m reading a book by Enrique Krauze about leadership in Latin America [Redeemers]. It’s the most recent book he wrote-he’s a very important Mexican writer.
Q. What’s the best fan mail you’ve ever gotten?
A. The best fan mail gives me a lot of encouragement-from people who are happy to see a woman running.
Q. What was your worst subject in school?
A. In general I really enjoyed school, but I preferred the subjects that dealt with politics and social issues.
Q. What’s the best way to deal with getting fired?
A. I believe that you have to prepare on a daily basis, especially in the type of world that we live in now, where things are challenging and there is a lot of competition. That way you have the possibility of having access to different opportunities. Or you have to create an environment where you have the ability to be an entrepreneur.
Q. Which American president do you admire most?
A. One of the leaders I admired at the time was George H.W. Bush, because of the moment he lived in in history and because he helped contribute to the liberty of citizens. And even though she wasn’t a president, I have always admired Eleanor Roosevelt.
Q. What makes you laugh?
A. Sharing things with my daughter, my family, my husband. I try to laugh every day; otherwise, politics will become too hard.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.