Mario Vázquez Raña


Mario Vázquez Raña was a Mexican businessman and sports administrator, who served on both national and Olympic committees. He served as a member of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee and the Association of National Olympic Committees until 2012. He was the President of the Pan American Sports Organization.
On 5 April 2008, Vázquez Raña received international press attention for his statement that the situation in Tibet "is a Chinese problem" that is "not an issue for the Olympic Games."

Career

On 15 March 2012 he resigned from the IOC, IOC Executive Board and as the head of the Association of National Olympic Committees. He also resigned from being the President of the Olympic Solidarity Commission. He continued to serve as the head of the Pan American Sports Organization.

2012 Controversy

In 2012, Vázquez Raña came under media scrutiny for allegedly manipulating news stories in newspapers controlled by the Organización Editorial Mexicana in favor of Enrique Peña Nieto, presidential candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party.
On 11 May 2012, Enrique Peña Nieto gave a speech at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City as part of his 2012 presidential campaign. He was jeered by the general student population upon arrival, but was allowed to deliver his remarks. Multiple newspapers belonging to the Organización Editorial Mexicana including El Sol de México and Diario de Xalapa covered the story by printing identical headlines labeling Peña Nieto's speech a "success" after an attempted "boycott" by leftist activists. The university incident, as well as the coverage by newspapers controlled by Vázquez Raña subsequently received media attention and scrutiny.

Sports

Vásquez Raña participated in shooting competitions at national and international level in 1960.
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Sports Administration

In 1986 Vázquez received the Eagle Award from the United States Sports Academy. The Eagle Award is the Academy's highest international honor and was awarded to Vázquez for his significant contributions in promoting international harmony, peace, and goodwill through the effective use of sport.

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