The candidate Yamandú Orsi This Sunday he won victory in the second presidential round in Uruguay and marked the return to power of the left, which governed the country between 2005 and 2020.
In his first speech after the election results were known, Orsi went on stage mounted in his campaign center and in the midst of fireworks and shouts he thanked “everyone who carried out this campaign in which we achieved nothing less than victory.”
The standard bearer of Wide Front said that “triumphs once again the country of freedom, equality and also fraternity” and expressed his respect for his rival from the ruling coalition, Alvaro Delgado.
With more than 98% of the votes counted, Orsi reached the 49.78% support compared to Delgado’s 45.93% in an election that had a participation close to 90% of voters, according to preliminary data released by the Electoral Court.
The opponent admitted The Associated Press that the close electoral race gave him butterflies “in his stomach, in his head and everything,” but that he will begin working immediately to shape his government, which will take office on March 1, 2025.
“It’s a strange feeling that I think will take a while to get over. They are things that one expects, but you are not so sure either.“He said from inside the hotel where he awaited the results of the elections. “Starting tomorrow, we will work a lot, there is a lot to do,” he concluded.
After giving his speech to the crowd, Orsi entered the premises of the NH Columbia hotel surrounded by friends, political colleagues and his closest circle, with whom he shared, between smiles, hugs and photos, moments of relaxation and celebrations.
Orsi’s victory would make the small South American nation the last country to turn its back on a party in power in this country. election year historic in which voters frustrated by the economic malaise They punished ruling parties around the world, from the United States and Britain to South Korea and Japan.
“Let us understand that there is another part of our people that today has a different feeling. These people will also have to help build a better country. We need them too”Orsi told those attending his speech.
In this framework, he assured that “starting tomorrow” he will begin working to implement a government that will seek national unity.
“I am going to be the president who calls for national dialogue again and again, who builds a more integrated society and country.”, he assured. “There is no future if we put a wall on ideas.”
A while before, outgoing president Luis Lacalle Pou had congratulated Orsi on his victory, while Delgado acknowledged his defeat by exclaiming in his campaign center that “With sadness, but without a guilt complex, we can congratulate the winner”.
“Today is the victory of the people’s militancy, there are many people who are still below the poverty line and we must invest in health, in social policies, in education. “The people deserve it,” he told AP the teacher Carina Rodríguez.
Delgado, for his part, followed the count from the headquarters of the National Party in the Uruguayan capital, where silence reigned after the first approaches from four private pollsters.
“Today the people, the Uruguayans, defined who will (occupy) the presidency of the republic and I want to send from here… a big hug and greeting to Yamandú Orsi and the Frente Amplio”Delgado expressed. “With sadness, but without complexes, I come to congratulate whoever won.”
Some 2.7 million Uruguayans were called to vote in these elections marked by the moderation of the proposals and the tranquility of Uruguayan politics, considered one of the most stable and consolidated democracies in Latin America.
In the first round, held on October 27, the Wide Front de Orsi had achieved a 44% of the votes compared to the 26.8% obtained by Delgado.
According to the Electoral Courtthe day “passed calmly and without major incidents.”
Orsi, 57 years old and heir to the historic José “Pepe” Mujicatrusted in the strength of the Frente Amplio to return power to the left after five years of absence. Delgado, for his part, appealed to Lacalle Pou’s good image to convince voters about the permanence of the administration. The candidate was secretary of the presidency.
With 20 years of political experience, Orsi emphasized his promise to govern with a renewed leftfocused on income redistribution to boost economic growth. Likewise, he proposed iincentives to revitalize the country’s essential activities such as agriculture, industry, tourism and small businesses, in addition to having adopted a more market-friendly discourse.
“He is my candidate, not only for me but also for my children, who in the future will have better conditions, both in work, health, and salaries.”said nurse Yeny Varone, who took advantage of her break at the hospital to register her vote.
Delgado, a 55-year-old veterinarian with a long history in the National Party, tried to catapult his closeness with the outgoing president and insisted on being the face of “continuity.”
He defended a greater economic opening of the country and, like his rival, advocated boosting growth after the slowdown experienced by the COVID-19 pandemic and a historic drought, but through reforms for a more “efficient” State.
Unlike previous years, the electoral campaign was marked by an unusual apathy of the electorate. For the final stage of the race, both contenders had heavy support. Both Mujica and Lacalle Pou played a leading role in favor of their respective political godsons.
Mujica, 89 years old and recovering from esophageal cancer, praised the solidity of the electoral process in Uruguay after voting and stressed the importance of preserving it for future generations.
“Uruguay is a small country but it has earned recognition for being stable, for having a citizenry that respects institutional formalities. “It is no small thing in our poor and battered Latin America,” he told reporters. “Young people be aware of that. It took a lot to learn and generate that.”
(AP)
