Presidential election in Uruguay | Left opposition candidate wins election

(Montevideo) Opposition candidate Yamandu Orsi won the presidential election in Uruguay on Sunday, a victory marking the return to power of the left of iconic ex-president José “Pepe” Mujica.

At 89 years old and despite declining health, the latter spared no effort to put his great popularity at the service of his foal, a 57-year-old former history professor who, like him, came from a modest rural environment. .

Candidate of the left-wing coalition Frente Amplio, Mr. Orsi won according to the final official results by 49.8% of the votes against 45.9% for his center-right opponent Alvaro Delgado, man of the outgoing president Luis Lacalle Pou, in power since 2020.

“I will be the president who calls again and again for national dialogue to find the best solutions, of course by following our vision, but also by listening very carefully to what others tell us,” promised the president-designate, including Mr. Mujica praised his “negotiator” skills.

Mr. Delgado, a former veterinarian from the right-wing National Party, quickly conceded his defeat, saying he “greeted” Mr. Orsi on behalf of “all the actors in the coalition [gouvernementale] » who supported him.

Horns and shouts of joy rang out on Sunday evening in the capital Montevideo, a stronghold of the Frente Amplio, and thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate Mr. Orsi’s victory.

“I’m happy!” The people have won again,” declared Walkiria Paris, a 63-year-old retiree wrapped in the Frente Amplio flag, after the announcement of the president-elect’s victory.

The election of Mr. Orsi, who will take office on 1^is March, marks the return of the left to power after a previous sequence of fifteen years under Tabaré Vazquez (2005-2010 and 2015-2020) and Mr. Mujica (2010-2015).

In this country of 3.4 million inhabitants stuck between Argentina and Brazil and considered a haven of peace and stability in South America, Mr. Orsi, a supporter of the moderate left, assured that his victory augured well for a “change” which will not be “radical”.

Employment and security

During the campaign, MM. Orsi and Delgado insisted on reviving growth and reducing the budget deficit. They pledged not to increase the tax burden and promised to fight against increasing crime linked to drug trafficking.

Mr. Orsi also wishes to develop exchanges on a regional scale.

“I would like to congratulate […] the president-designate Yamandu Orsi, the Frente Amplio and my friend Pepe Mujica”, reacted on X the president of neighboring Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “This is a victory for all of Latin America and the Caribbean,” he noted.

Other Latin American leaders welcomed Mr. Orsi’s victory, such as the ultraliberal Argentinian Javier Milei who re-shared on X a message from the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulating the president-elect.

If Uruguay has a high standard of living and lower levels of poverty and inequality than in the rest of South America, employment and security have been placed at the center of concerns in this country of 12 million. of heads of cattle.

Young and undecided, the key

Despite his 89 years, his fight against cancer and difficulty getting around, Mr. Mujica, a former guerrilla who had been tortured under the military dictatorship, increased his appearances and rallies to attract the vote of young and undecided people who seemed hold the key to the vote.

Outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou was unable to run again despite a popularity rating of 50%, because the Constitution prohibits running for a second consecutive term. He promised an “orderly” transition.

On October 27, concurrent first-round parliamentary elections saw the Frente Amplio win 16 of the 30 seats in the Senate and 48 of the 99 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

During his campaign, Mr. Orsi stressed that this result offered his camp the conditions to “carry out the transformations that the country needs”.