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The small South American nation of Uruguay will hold elections on Sunday to choose a new president at a time when it is a model of political and economic stability in Latin America.
The 3.4 million people who make up Uruguay’s population may disagree on key issues, but civility and a focus largely on policy, not personal attacks, make Uruguay’s election stand in stark contrast to those in other countries, particularly in the United States.
Because of constitutional term limits, the current president, Luis Lacalle Pou, 51, cannot run for a second consecutive term.
But the result will determine whether his conservative coalition retains control of the presidency or whether a moderate leftist alliance, which legalized marijuana and ramped up green energy production when it last governed from 2005 to 2020, will return to power.
A win for the opposition would probably put a prospective trade deal with China on hold. Its candidate, Yamandú Orsi, has said that he prefers to negotiate with Beijing through Mercosur, an alliance of South American countries.
Whoever wins will have to grapple with challenges posed by an aging population, widespread child poverty and concerns over violent crime, as drug gangs have made inroads into what has traditionally been one of South America’s most peaceful countries.
If no candidate wins a majority of the vote, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held on Nov. 24.
Here’s what you need to know:
Who is running?What are the issues?Who is likely to win?When will we find out the results?
Who is running?
The governing party’s candidate is Álvaro Delgado, 55, who has worked as a rural veterinarian, congressman and chief of staff to Mr. Lacalle Pou.
Both men belong to the center-right National Party, which is part of the governing Republican Coalition. Mr. Delgado’s victory would ensure the continuation of an economic agenda focused on pursuing trade agreements and streamlining government regulations.
His main challenger, Mr. Orsi, is a former high school history teacher and a two-time mayor of Canelones, a sprawling district of beach towns, cattle ranches and outlying suburbs of the country’s capital, Montevideo.
Mr. Orsi, 57, was born in Canelones to a working-class household without electricity. He has spent 30 years rising through the ranks of the Broad Front, a progressive leftist coalition of communists, trade unionists, Democratic Socialists and former leftist guerrillas, among them José Mujica.
Support from Mr. Mujica, a folksy, avuncular figure who served as president from 2010 to 2015, helped Mr. Orsi win the coalition’s nomination.
Long-shot contenders include Andrés Ojeda, 40, a lawyer, member of the conservative Colorado Party and regular guest on talk shows who has tried to appeal to younger voters.
In one campaign spot posted on Instagram, Mr. Ojeda flexes his biceps in a gym, says his favorite movie is “300,” reports that he is “seriously thinking” about adopting a pet and describes himself as “such a Capricorn.”
What are the issues?
Uruguayan elections are typically contested around the middle ground with parties across the political spectrum that are in broad agreement on many issues.
The leading candidates all emphasize maintaining Uruguay’s business-friendly policies — including lower corporate taxes than those of its neighbors — which have helped the economy grow. They also support preserving the country’s relatively generous Social Security system that, among other things, provides free health care to poor people.
In an interview, Mr. Orsi said that Uruguay’s strong political parties and robust welfare state meant there was little room for the kind of populist movements that had taken hold in other countries.
He and Mr. Delgado have had regular exchanges, Mr. Orsi said. “Here, we all know each other,” he said, adding that if he won, he would not seek to “destroy everything and start again from zero.”
But he criticized the governing party’s record on crime and said that urgent action was needed to repel drug gangs, fight money laundering and “avoid the state losing control of prisons.” He has promised to hire 2,000 new police officers.
Uruguay’s homicide rate has swelled in recent years, and a third of the public cites insecurity as the top concern, followed by unemployment, drug trafficking and poverty.
Mr. Orsi has said that he plans to create more jobs for young people and increase wages for low-income workers to help tackle the child poverty rate, which is at 25 percent.
Mr. Delgado has also vowed to support disadvantaged children through a $200 million spending package. His campaign team did not respond to a request for an interview.
But he has placed more emphasis on improving economic growth, finalizing the trade agreement with China and implementing a “bureaucratic decontamination” by firing 15,000 government workers and replacing their roles with online services.
Who is likely to win?
Mr. Orsi has consistently led in polls by a comfortable margin, but many analysts still believe he may not have enough support to avoid a runoff against Mr. Delgado.
Mr. Ojeda could play an important role in a second round of voting because he and candidates from smaller conservative parties are expected to back Mr. Delgado, a formula that helped Mr. Lacalle Pou win in 2019.
But analysts say Mr. Orsi — who has drawn praise from voters as having a down-to-earth manner and who has benefited from Mr. Mujica’s support — has emerged as the candidate most likely to become the next president.
When will we find out the results?
The polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m., with results expected within a few hours. Results will be uploaded to the website of Uruguay’s electoral authority.
Jack Nicas and Mauricio Rabuffetti contributed reporting from Montevideo, Uruguay.
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