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World

Mexico's president acknowledges distrust, fear in state-of-nation speech

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto winks and waves as he acknowledges invited guests before delivering his third State of the Nation address, inside the National Palace in Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015. Pena Nieto sent his written report to Congress on Tuesday in an atmosphere of rising violence, a falling currency and a slowing economy. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) (The Associated Press)

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    Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto wipes his face as he prepares to give his third State of the Nation address, inside the National Palace in Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015. For the first time in recent history the government did not make the written state-of-the-nation report available publicly the day before the president's address, however the report was sent to Congress on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) (The Associated Press)

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    Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto gives his third State of the Nation address, inside the National Palace in Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015. Pena Nieto's approval ratings have fallen, from 55 percent in August 2014 to about 35 percent one year later, according to a Buendia&Laredo poll published Tuesday. It had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) (The Associated Press)

MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has acknowledged that Mexico's crime, corruption and economic troubles have caused distrust and anger among Mexicans.

While Pena Nieto stressed his administration's achievements in structural reforms and government programs, his state-of-the-nation address Wednesday contained a dose of realism.

Pena Nieto began the speech by talking about the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, and the escape of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

He said those events "bother and disturb us as a society."

Pena Nieto pledged that in the last half of his six-year term the government would combat corruption and crime.

Mexico has been hit by rising violence, a falling currency and a slowing economy, and the president's decline in the polls.