Uruguay returns to the left. Yamandú Orsi, leader of the Frente Amplio opposition coalition, was declared the winner of the second round of the presidential elections held on Sunday, November 24, ahead of the candidate of the National Party (center-right), Álvaro Delgado. , whose government coalition has governed the country since 2020.
According to the official results communicated by the Electoral Tribunal, out of the 94.4% of the votes counted, Mr. Orsi obtained 51.88% of the votes (1,123,420 votes) compared to 48.12% (1,042,001 votes) of Mr. Delgado. Almost 90% of voters went to the polls in this country of 3.4 million inhabitants, where voting is mandatory.
“I will be the president who calls again and again for national dialogue to find the best solutions, of course following our vision, but also listening very carefully to what others tell us”Yamadu Orsi reacted during a speech to his followers. “We must understand that there is another part of our country that today has different feelingshe added. These people will also have to contribute to building a better country, we need them too. »
“Today the Uruguayan people have chosen who will occupy the presidency of the Republic”For his part, Álvaro Delgado acknowledged, saying ” greet “ Mr. Orsi on behalf of “all actors in the coalition [gouvernementale] » who supported him in the second round. Álvaro Delgado served as secretary of the presidency, before launching a campaign whose motto was “Re-elect a good government.”
An entry into service on day 1Ahem March 2025
Yamandu Orsi, 57, a former history teacher of working-class origin, will take office on 1Ahem March 2025, when he will succeed Luis Lacalle Pou, of the National Party, who, according to the Constitution, could not run for a second consecutive term. When he was elected in 2019, he ended fifteen consecutive years of Frente Amplio government.
“I called Yamandu Orsi to congratulate him as the elected president of our country.” wrote the outgoing president, on the social network “would put himself at your service and begin the transition as soon as[il le jugera] prompt”.
Yamandú Orsi finished well in the lead in the first round on October 27 with 43.9% of the votes, ahead of Delgado (26.8%), including the reserve of votes of Andrés Ojeda, of the Colorado Party (center right), which came in third place (16%), was not enough to win.
No “radical” change
Mr. Orsi’s victory, however, does not portend any sign of a change of direction, since the president-elect had promised, while still a candidate, “a sure change that will not be radical”. 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 the increase in crime linked to drug trafficking. Orsi also wants to develop exchanges on a regional scale, while Delgado leans towards multilateral agreements.
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The left had trusted its guardian figure, José “Pepe” Mujica, the former president (2010-2015) and former guerrilla tortured and imprisoned under the dictatorship (1973-1985), to return to power after the Tabaré Vázquez years (2005). -2010, then 2015-2020) that put an end to the hegemony of the right and the center right. Despite his 89 years, his fight against cancer and his difficulties moving, Mujica increased his appearances and meetings to attract the vote of young and undecided people who seemed to have the key to the elections.
“I want to congratulate (…) the elected president Yamandú Orsi, the Frente Amplio and my friend Pepe Mujica for their victory in today’s elections”reacted, in X, the president of neighboring Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “This is a victory for all of Latin America and the Caribbean”he pointed out.
Concurrent general election on 1Ahem In this round, the Frente Amplio obtained sixteen of the thirty seats in the Senate and 48 of the 99 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
