Salinas' Departs Mexico; Reportedly in U.S. Exile
MEXICO CITY, March 12ÛÓFormer president Carlos Salinas de Gor-tari, blamed by his successor for much of MexicoÛªs economic crisis, left the country this weekend, a government official confirmed tonight after newspapers here reported the departure. One paper said he had gone into "gilded exile" In the United States.</br></br>The official said that SalinasÛÓ who was once highly popular here and widely praised abroad for his economic policiesÛÓleft Saturday in a private jet accompanied by his wife and three children. He declined to identify SalinasÛªs destination, but the newspaper Excelsior said the former president planned to spend this week in New York and Boston and that his longer-term plans were to settle for an undetermined period in Boston, where he received a PhD in economics from Harvard University.</br></br>Two other publicationsÛÓLa Jornada, a leading opposition newspaper, and Proceso, a weekly magazine that came out todayÛÓsaid Salinas had reached an agreement with President Ernesto Zedillo to leave the country with his family, but a spokesman for Zedillo refused to</br></br>In a nationally broadcast speech.' tonight, Zedillo himself made no; mention of SalinasÛªs whereabouts; but again attacked his predecessor's; handling of the Mexican economy;</br></br>Salinas had made dear for some time that he hoped to leave Mexico and had campaigned to head the new World Trade Organization; he lost that bid, however, when the Mexican economy tumbled into chaos soon after he left office.