Teacher vs veterinarian: Uruguay’s presidential front-runners
A history teacher and a veterinarian will vie Sunday for the presidency of Uruguay.
Pepe’s heir apparent
Yamandú Orsi, 57, garnered nearly 44 percent of ballots cast in the first election round on October 27 and holds a small lead in opinion polls ahead of Sunday’s decisive vote.
Orsi was born in a house in the countryside with no electricity.
He grew up in the town of Canelones, of which he later became mayor.
As a child, he helped out in his parents’ grocery store and was a folk dancer and a Catholic altar boy.
In 1989, he joined the Movimiento de Participación Popular (MPP), founded by Mujica, which later became part of the Frente Amplio coalition.
Orsi taught history in high school until 2005, when he entered local government.
He handily won the Frente Amplio primary in June, defeating former Montevideo mayor Carolina Cosse, whom he then chose as his running-mate.
The twice-married educator, who has 11-year-old twins, campaigned as a moderate with a down-to-earth approach.
But his failure to set out a clear plan for government drew criticism. He also declined to take part in debates and gave few media interviews.
President’s right-hand man
Delgado was just days into his new job as secretary of the presidency under longtime friend, Lacalle Pou, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Uruguay in 2020.
Being government spokesman during the crisis allowed him to build his public profile.
Born in Montevideo, Delgado was educated in Catholic schools before getting a veterinary degree.
He entered politics after having run an agricultural business and working as a veterinary advisor.
Prior to serving in the Lacalle Pou administration, he also worked as a labor inspector, a member of parliament representing Montevideo, and a senator.
He is the married father of three adult children.
Delgado has said he is happier roaming the countryside on horseback than lounging around Uruguay’s ritzy seaside resorts.
During the campaign, the National Party candidate was branded a “caveman” and described as “vulgar” on social media for calling his running mate, former union activist Valeria Ripoll, a “hottie.”
Delgado called his remark a “mistake” and an “unfortunate joke.”
Like Orsi with Mujica, he has benefitted from his close association with Lacalle Pou, who has an approval rating of 50 percent.
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Publish date : 2024-11-22 00:15:00
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