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Council On Hemispheric Affairs
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Monitoring
Political, Economic and Diplomatic Issues Affecting the Western Hemisphere
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Memorandum to the Press 04.80
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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.
TO
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This analysis was
prepared by Rebecca Evans, Ph.D, COHA Senior Research
Fellow.
November 2, 2004
The Council on Hemispheric
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