Center-left opposition candidate Yamandou Orsi secured victory in Uruguay's presidential election, securing victory with 97% of the vote, making the South American nation the latest to rebuke an incumbent party in a landmark year. This was revealed on Sunday. election.
According to official results, Yamandou Orsi, who was considered the favorite by several points before the election, won 49.77% of the vote, beating conservative Alvaro Delgado's 45.94%.
“The horizon is getting brighter,” Orsi, a working-class former history teacher and two-time mayor, told thousands of Montevideo Broadfront Party supporters gathered on a stage overlooking the capital's waterfront. ” he said. result.
“The land of freedom, equality and fraternity has won once again,” he said. “Let's continue on that path.”
After Delgado's fellow National Party member Luis Lacalle Pou suggested the election results were a victory for the centre-left, he quickly congratulated Orsi, offered support for the transition and recognized the election.
“I feel sad, but I don't feel guilty and I can celebrate the winner,” Delgado told supporters at his campaign headquarters in the capital Montevideo.
The election of two moderates in the small country of 3.4 million people, known for its beaches, legalized marijuana and stable environment, marks the end of a bumper year of global elections. Many suffered from bitter political divisions.
Mr. Orsi, Mr. Delgado, and Mr. Lacare Pou all expressed goodwill towards the political opposition and vowed to work together to move the country forward. Unlike the sharp divisions between right and left in recent elections in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, Uruguay's political scene is relatively less tense, with considerable overlap between the conservative and liberal coalitions vying for power. be.
High costs of living, inequality and violent crime are top concerns for Uruguayans, but inflation has eased in the run-up to the election, and both employment and real salaries are rising. Mr. Orsi, who has pledged a “modern left'' policy approach, won 43.9% of the votes for the Broad Front in the first round in October, competing with Mr. Delgado, who secured 26.8%. There was also support from the conservative Colorado Party. The party accounted for almost 42% of the vote.
Mr. Orsi sought to reassure Uruguayans that he was not planning a drastic change in policy in the traditionally moderate and relatively wealthy country. Ruben Parada, a 44-year-old construction worker from Montevideo, said he voted for Orsi because his Broadfront party “doesn't really care about the rich” and does more to support workers. he said. Conservative Delgado had sought to capitalize on Lacalle Pou's popularity by urging voters to “re-elect a good government.”
The ruling coalition has struggled to live up to its crime-fighting record and is battling several corruption scandals, but had hoped its economic success would be enough to persuade voters to choose continuity over change.
“They've done more in five years than Broadfront did in 15 years,” said Jacqueline Freitas, 38, who voted for Delgado in the second round, referring to the construction of a hospital near her home in Montevideo. ” he said.
Neither coalition has an absolute majority in the lower house of parliament after October's elections. But Orsi's broad front won 16 of the 30 seats in the Senate. He has said he is in a good position to lead the next government because he has a majority in the Senate.
Sunday's results confirmed that Uruguay is following a global trend of incumbent parties receiving fewer votes compared to previous elections, as the biggest election year in history draws to a close.
