MEXICO.- You may recall that some time last year, Mexican Presidential spokespeople held a press conference to rebut a rumor that President Peña Nieto was fighting a battle against cancer. The rumors arose after he checked in at a hospital and scattered news hyped speculation.

The executive office declared that the president had undergone operation to remove his thyroid gland, and that he was well and "free of any sort of malaise or side effects" according to the online magazine Proceso in July of last year.

However, afterwards, photographs depicting an ever-frail and weak looking Peña Nieto emerged, and he was described as looking skinny and emaciated which strengthened the rumor that he may have been fighting cancer.

Many news outlets reached out to specialists in the matter, such as the Vanguardia newspaper, where reporter Sandra Naal wrote an article on the matter after meeting with an endocrinologist specialist. Doctor Ramon Alanis told the reporter that "it is likely that he had benign cysts, which doesn't rule out the possibility that he has cancer, but when cancer cells are present the entire thyroid is removed if it is malignant, and there is forty percent probability of it being cancerous."

The rumor faded for a couple months as controversial reforms and other events that directly affected economic stability, and topics related to education and labor reform. The supposed illness was put on pause, especially after the Supreme Court rejected a request for information related to his personal health.

A couple of days ago, a picture taken of President Peña Nieto on the 26th of May started to make rounds in the media. The photo depicts the President in the midst of conversation with a PAN Congressman, Jorge Camacho. Described as "boney and with bags under his eyes" the picture was used in order to question his health condition.

The topic has gained so much strength that even the former left-wing presidential candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador brought it up in a Facebook post this week. The post reads "there is a rumor that Peña Nieto is sick. I don't believe it, nor do I wish it. But it is a good excuse for him to get out and resign due to his apparent incapacity."

Elizabeth.Rosales@sandiegored.com

borderzonie@gmail.com