Uruguay’s five-year conservative government was replaced on Sunday as leftist opposition candidate Yamandú Orsi secured victory in a closely contested presidential runoff. The high voter turnout reached nearly 90 percent.
While vote counting continued, center-right ruling coalition candidate Álvaro Delgado conceded defeat to Orsi.
“With sadness, but without regret, we congratulate the victor,” Delgado told supporters at his Montevideo headquarters.
Orsi, a 57-year-old former history teacher and two-term mayor from the Broad Front coalition, mentored by former President José “Pepe” Mujica, addressed his supporters amidst celebratory crowds.
“The nation of liberty, equality, and fraternity has prevailed,” Orsi declared, pledging national unity following the tight election result.
“We acknowledge that a segment of our population holds differing sentiments today,” he added. “These individuals, too, are essential in building a better nation.”
“I will be the president who consistently advocates for national dialogue, fostering a more cohesive society and country,” Orsi stated.
“Starting tomorrow, I face considerable work; much remains to be done,” he told the Associated Press, surrounded by well-wishers at the NH Columbia hotel.
With nearly complete vote tallies, Orsi garnered just over 49% of the vote, exceeding Delgado’s 46%. Remaining votes were either blank or abstentions, despite Uruguay’s compulsory voting law.
Following weeks of polling parity, Delgado’s concession establishes Orsi as Uruguay’s next leader, ending the center-right Republican coalition’s governing run.
President Luis Lacalle Pou’s 2019 election concluded 15 consecutive years of Broad Front rule.
“I contacted Yamandú Orsi to offer my congratulations as our country’s President-elect,” Lacalle Pou announced on X, promising to assist with the transition.
Orsi’s win is the latest instance of voters rejecting incumbent parties amidst post-pandemic economic difficulties.
This outcome differs from Argentina’s 2023 presidential election, where Javier Milei’s victory was predicated on overhauling the establishment to combat inflation and poverty. Reports suggest Milei has forged a close relationship with President-elect Trump.
Orsi is characterized as a moderate without radical policy proposals. He largely concurs with his opponent on key voter concerns such as reducing the alarming 25% childhood poverty rate and curbing the surge in organized crime that has impacted the nation’s safety.
Despite Orsi’s promise of a “new left” in Uruguay, his platform mirrors the blend of market-friendly policies and welfare programs that defined the Broad Front’s 2005-2020 tenure.
Mujica, 89 and recovering from esophageal cancer, lauded Orsi’s humility and Uruguay’s stability at his polling station.
“This is a significant achievement,” he noted, praising the citizenry’s respect for formal institutions.
With easing inflation and projected 3.2% economic growth this year, Delgado had pledged to continue his predecessor’s pro-business approach.
Lacalle Pou, constitutionally ineligible for reelection, enjoyed high approval ratings. However, Sunday’s results indicated that rising complaints about years of economic stagnation, stagnant wages, and the government’s struggles to control crime after five years contributed to Delgado’s defeat.
Orsi’s specific proposals include tax incentives to stimulate investment and revitalize the agricultural sector, along with social security reforms lowering the retirement age. These reforms, however, fall short of the radical overhaul sought by Uruguayan unions and which failed to pass in the October 27 general election where neither candidate secured an outright majority.
He is also likely to terminate a trade agreement with China pursued by Lacalle Pou to the dissatisfaction of Mercosur, a South American regional trade alliance.
His administration will commence on March 1, 2025.