Mexico president: Wife to clear up home questions

MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Enrique Pena Nieto said Tuesday that the first lady will clarify questions about a multimillion-dollar home that has raised concerns about possible conflict of interest, even as his government grapples with protests over the disappearance of 43 teachers college students.

Speaking in Mexico State where he was governor before becoming president, Pena Nieto said reports about the Mexico City mansion, valued at an estimated $7 million, have led to "countless versions and falsehoods."

The website of journalist Carmen Aristegui was the first to report on the house, registered under Ingenieria Inmobiliaria del Centro, a subsidiary of Grupo Higa, which has benefited from public works contracts. Just days before publication, Pena Nieto's government canceled a high-speed rail contract that had been granted to the sole bidder, a consortium that included Constructora Teya, another Grupo Higa company.

The government later said the home in the capital's most exclusive neighborhood belonged to first lady Angelica Rivera, a former actress. Pena Nieto said Tuesday that Rivera worked for 25 years to build up her own savings, and added that he has asked her to clear up any doubts.

"I hope that the clarification that my wife will personally give can make clear how it was that this property came about, something that was done based on her work," he said.

Pena Nieto did not specify when Rivera would address the matter publicly.

The president also touched on the recent protests over the disappearance of the students, who investigators believe were seized by police, handed over to drug cartel thugs and then killed.

Pena Nieto said that amid the sometimes violent demonstrations, he perceived an "orchestrated effort to destabilize" reforms that he is pushing.