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Press Memorandum: Cambio a la Uruguaya: Another Domino Falls in the Wrong Direction for Washington

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Council On Hemispheric Affairs

Monitoring Political, Economic and Diplomatic Issues Affecting the Western Hemisphere

Memorandum to the Press 04.80

 

Word Count: 900

Tuesday, 2 November 2004

Cambio a la Uruguaya: Another Domino Falls in the Wrong Direction for Washington

• Leftist candidate Tabaré Vázquez will likely secure an absolute majority in the first round of Uruguay’s presidential elections, continuing the trend of left-leaning presidents elected in Latin American countries struggling under the effects of Washington-prescribed neo-liberal economic policies.

• Vázquez has pledged to fight poverty and unemployment while pursuing a gradualist, consensual approach to change.

• Commitment to responsible economic and fiscal policies and stronger ties with Uruguay’s like-minded Mercosur neighbors are a cornerstone of Vázquez’s electoral platform and represent a further deterioration of Washington’s influence in the region.

While a few votes remain to be counted from Uruguay’s October 31 presidential elections, Tabaré Vázquez of the leftist Progressive Encounter-Broad Front (EP-FA) coalition will likely secure an absolute majority of all votes cast in the first round, thus becoming Uruguay’s first left-wing president ever. Moreover, for the first time in almost seventy years, the president’s party won a majority in the legislature as well. The EP-FA will control 53 of the 99 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and at least 17 of 31 Senate seats (two seats remained undecided at the time of this writing). The National Party (Blancos) also increased their representation in the legislature, coming in a strong second with 34 seats in the Chamber and at least 7 seats in the Senate. The Colorados, on the other hand, saw their share of the legislative vote drop precipitously, losing 23 seats in the Chamber and retaining only 3 of their previous 10 Senate seats.

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This analysis was prepared by Rebecca Evans, Ph.D, COHA Senior Research Fellow.

November 2, 2004

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