Over 2.7 million citizens called to vote
7,225 voting center set up throughout the nation
General elections take place amid insecurity and unemployment crisis
Broad Front led 1st round of voting with 43.9%
7,225 voting center set up throughout the nation
General elections take place amid insecurity and unemployment crisis
Broad Front led 1st round of voting with 43.9%
Category
đ
NewsTranscript
00:00Let's now go over more details on this Sunday's presidential runoff.
00:04We are joined by political scientist Diego Perez.
00:06Hello Diego, welcome from the South.
00:09Hello, nice to meet you.
00:12Hi, it's a pleasure to have you.
00:13Diego, what are the key policy differences between the candidates in this runoff,
00:18particularly regarding social welfare and economic development,
00:21as well as health care and education reforms,
00:24key issues that were on the table on the road to Election Day?
00:29Well, if we see the candidate from the Frente Amplio, YamandĂș Orsi,
00:36he has a left-leaning tendency,
00:41which means that he believes strongly in the state's intervention,
00:47and also he wants to improve especially economic indicators and social indicators
00:54regarding education as well as health.
01:00Whereas the right candidate, he tends to continue,
01:07Delgado wants to continue with La Calle Po's term
01:13in terms of this more restrictive, more business-oriented,
01:19private-oriented policies,
01:22which means that the gap between the rich and the poor would continue amplifying.
01:29So probably that's the main difference.
01:32And also I think that it's important to highlight the difference
01:38regarding their connection to the continent,
01:43where the Frente Amplio candidate, Orsi,
01:47wants a stronger relationship between Uruguay and the rest of the continent.
01:53Meanwhile, the right candidate, Alvarado,
01:56wants a more independent, more isolationist view regarding the continent.
02:07The climate crisis is also a main aspect to consider.
02:11What are the candidates' positions on environmental issues
02:14and how might their policies affect Uruguay's sustainability efforts?
02:18Well, Uruguay has always had a very tense relationship
02:25regarding the environment, certainly,
02:28and I think that the Frente Amplio candidate
02:32wants a stronger intervention from the state,
02:36trying to contain several of the key aspects that promote and provoke pollution.
02:45As I said before, the right candidate wants to promote businesses,
02:55independent businesses, private sector businesses,
02:58and that means lifting restrictions,
03:02provoking a more loose role of the state
03:06regarding how they would control the intervention of the state
03:12in the environmental issues.
03:16How do you see the proposed economic strategies of each candidate differ
03:21and what are the potential short-term and long-term impacts on the national economy?
03:27Well, a stronger state intervention, in the case of the Frente Amplio,
03:32would mean trying to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor,
03:37but also has an impact on businesses.
03:39I mean, they would be subject to higher taxes,
03:44they would be subjected to stronger bureaucratic processes,
03:53as well as stronger restrictions coming from the law.
03:58On the other side, a more loose state intervention
04:05would mean, of course, more options for the businesses,
04:08but that has a toll on the issues regarding social justice.
04:16Now, the thing is that probably, currently,
04:21the Uruguayan society has had a decline on social issues
04:31and has had a decline on the quality of life.
04:34So that would mean that probably the right-leaning candidate
04:38would have a more difficult task in collecting the popular vote
04:45in order to get the election to his side.
04:49Probably the people now are facing a moment where they feel tired
04:55of this same type of public policy, especially on the economic side,
05:00and they want a more interventionist, more protective state around them.
05:07You were previously referring to Uruguay's relationship with the region
05:11and the rest of the world.
05:13How do you see this happening, depending on each candidate's position,
05:17how is going to be its relation with Mercosur and other trade agreements,
05:21and what are the candidates' view on Uruguay's diplomatic relations
05:23with neighboring countries, especially in light of recent regional political developments?
05:29Well, as I said, the thing with YamandĂș Orsi is that he has been very outspoken
05:38regarding how he would address the region.
05:42He has been known for believing in Mercosur,
05:46and he wants also to promote a stronger role, a stronger relationship
05:53from Uruguay to the other countries in the region.
05:58It is key to say that even though Akechepo, or actually Alvarado,
06:03hasn't been against the Mercosur and the integration policies,
06:09they are seeing these processes more in a bilateral way,
06:16whereas Orsi is seeing this in a more multilateral, more organized,
06:23and with more countries involved processes.
06:27Now, a key aspect there is China.
06:31Probably, I think these two candidates have an agreement
06:36regarding the role that China has with Uruguay, with the Uruguayan economy,
06:42and, I mean, the regional economy.
06:45So, in that aspect, I think that they would agree that the key role
06:55that China might have in the region is probably being seen in its full picture
07:03in this election, where both candidates are agreeing
07:07that China has to have a very strong relationship with them,
07:12and it has a very strong role in the country's economy.
07:20Diego, we have time for one more question.
07:22What challenges do you foresee for the winning candidate,
07:25regardless of who ultimately prevails in this election?
07:30Well, probably the main challenge that either candidate will have is security.
07:36Uruguay has had a very strong problem regarding security and narco-trafficking
07:41in the last months, in the last years, actually.
07:44And I think that the main issue for any candidate would be to ensure
07:51that the country would pacify and to ensure that the country will have enough potential
07:59to contain the spread of narco-trafficking and organized crime organizations within the country.
08:06Now, the second thing, it has to deal with the region.
08:13Uruguay's relations with Argentina are currently broken,
08:18and even though the relations with Brazil are going in a very good way,
08:26they should also be strengthened.
08:29So probably these are the two issues.
08:31Now, in the internal front, probably the main issue is social disparities,
08:38and they will have to work strongly towards reducing the gap between rich and poor.
08:45Thank you, Diego, for your time and your inputs here from the South.
08:50Thank you very much. Have a good day.
08:52You too. It was a pleasure to have you.
08:54That was Diego Perez, a political scientist,
08:57expressing his opinions and his inputs on everything that is happening today in Uruguay
09:01as the country decides on the next president and vice president.