Uruguay Elects A New President

The Politics of Humility Uruguay Center-left opposition candidate Yamandú Orsi won the presidential election in Uruguay, ousting the conservative government coalition candidate, Alvaro Delgado, by a few points in Sunday’s runoff elections, the Guardian reported Monday. Orsi, a 57-year-old former history teacher from humble beginnings, secured 49.8 percent of the vote while Delgado won 45.9 percent, official results showed. Orsi’s party, the Broad Front, also won a majority in the upper house of parliament, but neither coalition clinched an absolute majority in the lower house. “The horizon is brightening,” said Orsi, addressing his supporters. Delgado and Uruguay’s current President Luis Lacalle Pou, both from the National party, conceded the election and offered to help with the transition of power ahead of the swearing-in on March 1. The Broad Front alliance, headed by Orsi, will now return to power after five years of a conservative coalition government. The Broad Front had governed Uruguay for 15 years before it was beaten by Lacalle Pou, according to the BBC. Orsi is seen as the protege of former President José Mujica, a popular leader who, known for his modesty, was labeled with the moniker, “the world’s poorest president.” Orsi himself grew up in a rural area in a house without electricity. He then worked as a history teacher, becoming active in local politics, and later becoming mayor of Canelones, a small city in southern Uruguay. Addressing the nation after his win, Orsi said, “I’m going to be the president who builds a more integrated country, where we set aside our differences and nobody is left behind, not economically, socially or politically.” He intends to govern with a “moderate left” approach and refrain from major policy shifts in the traditional and relatively wealthy nation.