{"id":424768,"date":"2024-11-25T23:43:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T23:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=424768"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Uruguay-s-Orsi-from-the-classroom-to-the-presidency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Uruguay-s-Orsi-from-the-classroom-to-the-presidency\/","title":{"rendered":"Uruguay’s Orsi: from the classroom to the presidency"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uruguay’s next president is a former history teacher who swapped the classroom for local government — and will now lead the nation of 3.4 million following his Sunday win at the polls.<\/p>\n

President-elect Yamandu Orsi, of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) alliance, defeated Alvaro Delgado of the center-right National Party in the second round of voting, returning the country to left-wing rule.<\/p>\n

Orsi won 1,196,798 votes compared to Delgado’s 1,101,296, the country’s Electoral Court said — 49.8 percent to 45.9 percent.<\/p>\n

– Pepe’s heir apparent –<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Orsi, 57, garnered nearly 44 percent of ballots cast in the first election round on October 27 and held a small lead in opinion polls ahead of Sunday’s tight vote.<\/p>\n

He is seen as the understudy of highly popular ex-president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, known as “the world’s poorest president” during his 2010-2015 rule because of his modest lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Orsi was born in a house in the countryside with no electricity.<\/p>\n

He grew up in the town of Canelones, of which he later became mayor.<\/p>\n

As a child, he helped out in his parents’ grocery store and was a folk dancer and a Catholic altar boy.<\/p>\n

In 1989, he joined the Movement of Popular Participation, founded by Mujica, which later became part of the Frente Amplio coalition.<\/p>\n

Orsi taught history in high school until 2005, when he entered local government.<\/p>\n

He handily won the Frente Amplio primary in June, defeating former Montevideo mayor Carolina Cosse, whom he then chose as his running mate.<\/p>\n

The twice-married educator and father of twins campaigned as a moderate with a down-to-earth approach.<\/p>\n

But his failure to set out a clear plan for government drew criticism.\u00a0He also declined to take part in debates and gave few media interviews.<\/p>\n

Though the election will shift the balance of power in Uruguay, analysts did not foresee a massive change in the country’s economic direction, with Orsi having previously promised “change that will not be radical.”<\/p>\n

Both candidates pledged to fight crime linked to drug trafficking and to boost economic growth, which is recovering from the slowdown brought by the Covid-19 pandemic and a historic drought.<\/p>\n

Following October legislative elections, Orsi will govern with a majority in the Senate, though the Frente Amplio is in the minority in the Chamber of Representatives.<\/p>\n

– President’s right-hand man –<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

He defeated Delgado, who was just days into his new job as secretary of the presidency under longtime friend, Luis Lacalle Pou, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Uruguay in 2020.<\/p>\n

Being government spokesman during the crisis allowed him to build his public profile.<\/p>\n

Born in Montevideo, Delgado was educated in Catholic schools before getting a veterinary degree.<\/p>\n

He entered politics after having run an agricultural business and working as a veterinary advisor.<\/p>\n

Prior to serving in the Lacalle Pou administration, he also worked as a labor inspector, a member of parliament representing Montevideo, and a senator.<\/p>\n

bur-nro\/dhw<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Uruguay’s President-elect, Yamandu Orsi, of the Frente Amplio coalition, delivers his victory speech after the presidential runoff election in Montevideo on November 24, 2024<\/p>\n

-Santiago Mazzarovich
<\/figcaption><\/figure>

<\/p>\n

Alvaro Delgado ran as the candidate for Uruguay’s National Party, part of outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou’s center-right Republican Coalition<\/p>\n

-Eitan ABRAMOVICH
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