Yamandú Orsi, of the left-wing Broad Front (Frente Amplio) coalition, will become the next Uruguayan president after emerging victorious in the second round of voting on Sunday.
According to ReutersOrsi secured 49.81% of the vote, compared to conservative Álvaro Delgado, of the ruling National Party (Partido Nacional), who achieved 45.90%. The vote went to a runoff after neither side secured the majority needed to win in the first round held in late October.
Read more: Presidential elections in Uruguay go to a runoff in November
The Broad Front ruled Uruguay from 2005 until 2019, when it was defeated by the National Party of President Luis Lacalle Pou.
After the news of his victory, Orsi declared that “The country of freedom, equality and brotherhood has triumphed once again”. He added, “To understand that there is another part of our country that has different feelings today,” saying that “these people will also have to help build a better country. We need them too.”
“Today, Uruguayans have determined who will hold the presidency of the republic. And I want to send here, with all these actors of the coalition, a big hug and a greeting for Yamandú Orsi”, declared Delgado after his defeat.
“It is one thing to lose the elections and another thing to lose. We are not defeated”, he continued.
President Lacalle Pou revealed to X that he had called Orsi “to congratulate him as President-elect of our country” and to organize the transfer of power.
Although the country’s poverty rate is among the lowest in Latin America and inflation has begun to moderate, the opposition’s victory could reflect growing concerns about the country’s slow economic growth, stagnant wages, high cost of living and rising of the level of crime. The current government has also been embroiled in scandals, such as the issuance of a passport to an internationally wanted drug-trafficking suspect and charges brought against former senator Gustavo Penadés for sexual crimes against minors.
The president-elect has said he will lead a “modern left,” though he has told Uruguayans he has no radical plans for change. He emphasized addressing issues such as homelessness, poverty and crime, hinting at increased cooperation with Europe in the fight against drug trafficking and increased funding for the prison system.
Homicide rates in Uruguay have risen sharply in recent years, largely as a result of the new cocaine smuggling routes that now run through the country.
Orsi is a 57-year-old former history teacher and former mayor of the Canelones department in southern Uruguay.
He comes from a working class background, born to a father who was a vineyard farmer and a mother who was a seamstress. He has been described as the “political heir” of José Mujica, who was president from 2010-2015.
Mujica spent 14 years in detention under the dictatorship, imprisoned for his role in the MLN-Tupamaros guerrilla group. During this time, he was repeatedly tortured and spent long periods of time in solitary confinement.
As president, he became known for donating around 90% of his salary, in addition to legalizing abortion, same-sex marriage, and the recreational use of cannabis. He also refused to live in the presidential residence: a decision Orsi says he will follow.
