Uruguay’s presidential election is heading for a second round; pension reform rejected

Official election results in Uruguay showed center-left presidential candidate Yamandú Orsi slightly ahead of his conservative rival Alvaro Delgado, but a second round is needed next month to elect a new president.

Orsi had obtained 39% of the votes, according to Sunday’s official count, followed by Delgado’s 30.56%.

Since no presidential candidate received more than 50% of the vote on Sunday, a second round will be held on November 24.

Behind Orsi and Delgado was the young conservative Andrés Ojeda, from the Colorado Party, an expert in social networks, who secured 18% support according to the first results. Ojeda has promised to support Delgado to block a victory for the left if he is ultimately eliminated in the first round.

Uruguay’s presidential campaign between two centrist candidates bucks a Latin American trend of sharp left-right divisions, with significant overlap between the main conservative and liberal coalitions taking some of the strength out of the result.

The nation of 3.4 million people, known for its beaches, legalized marijuana and stability, also voted for members of parliament.

The two binding plebiscites voted on Sunday were rejected by citizens: one on a pension reform that would reduce the retirement age by five years to 60 and another that would increase the powers of the police to fight crime related to pensions. drugs.

Uruguayans rejected pension reform that would cost about $22.5 billion, two exit polls showed on Sunday, allaying fears among investors and politicians that it could harm the economy.

According to local pollsters Cifra and Equipos Consultores, 61% of eligible voters rejected the proposal, compared to 39% who voted in favor.

The security referendum also failed, according to Equipos Consultores, claiming that they obtained less than 40% support.

On Sunday, when the voting centers closed, hundreds of Frente Amplio supporters in Montevideo, the country’s capital, where residents have historically supported the center-left, gathered on a stage overlooking the city’s waterfront to wait for the votes. results.

“We are the party that grew the most in this election,” Orsi said, addressing the crowd. “In these next 27 days we are going to give the last push, with more enthusiasm than ever.”

However, Miguel Angel Chirivao, 71, who had cast his vote for the Frente Amplio, said it will be difficult for the left to recover after Sunday’s result, which was closer than expected: “They had a worse result than we expected, that will be difficult to reverse,” he said, disappointed with the result.

In Treinta y Tres, a rural region in eastern Uruguay that has traditionally voted conservative, Ramón Silveira, a 60-year-old farm worker who voted for Delgado, said: “I want the trend of the last five years to continue.”

While security was one area where the ruling coalition could improve, Silveira was confident that with more time in government, crime rates would decrease.

Uruguayans also voted on whether to eliminate constitutional restrictions on nighttime police raids on private homes as a way to combat drug-related crime.

Despite growing security concerns, exit polls suggested that this proposal was rejected. Both referendums required simple majorities to pass.

The ruling Conservative coalition is struggling to defend its security record, but hopes that successes in the economy – with employment and real wages now rising – may be enough to convince voters to choose continuity over change.

“I am convinced that all the work we have done and what we represent is going to turn out well,” Delgado said Sunday.

[Con información de Reuters y The Associated Press]

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels YouTube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.