This Sunday, the Uruguayan population is called to the polls to vote in some presidential elections in which the progressive candidate Wide Front, Yamandu Orsistarts with a wide advantage in the polls, although it would not be enough to obtain the majority of votes necessary to avoid having to go to the second round; while the official candidate National Party, Alvaro Delgadohas seen its popularity plummet in recent months.
Orsi is a prominent leader of the Popular Participation Movement (MPP) -led by the historic former president José Mujica and integrated into the Frente Amplio coalition – who has served as head of government of the Canelones governorate, in southern Uruguay, from 2015 to 2024. His candidate for vice president is Carolina Cossemayor of Montevideo between 2020 and July 2024 and previously Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining under the mandate of Tabaré Vázquez.
He Wide Front would obtain, according to surveys, close to a 45 percent of the votesa distance of almost 20 points with respect to the National Party, but that would not help them win in the first round, meaning that Uruguayans would have to go to the polls again within a month, the November 24.
On the opposite side, the National Party – also known as the White Party – faces the obligation to change its candidate after five years in office. Luis Lacalle Pou because the Constitution expressly prohibits the direct reelection of presidents, although not in the case of vice presidents.
The National Party has chosen the current Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado, as its candidate, accompanied by Valeria Ripolla television figure who was previously related to the union sector. The pre-campaign has been dotted with controversy surrounding the former ‘white’ leader Pablo Iturraldewho had to resign after alleged pressure on prosecutors regarding a corruption case involving a senator became known.
On Sunday we began to confirm the re-election of this course and that night, the coalition will give a message of hope, certainty and tranquility.
We talked about that today at the ADM lunch.
Thank you very much to everyone who joined us. pic.twitter.com/qpfE9S32wF— Alvaro Delgado (@AlvaroDelgadoUy) October 22, 2024
The ‘whites’, who throughout the entire mandate of Lacalle Pou They have been below the Frente Amplio in the polls, they have seen their support plummet in recent months, going from 30 percent at the beginning of the year, to just over 20 in the latest polls. The historical trend shows that the Frente Amplio usually garners great support in the first rounds, although in the runoff its rivals usually unite around the rival candidacy.
However, adding to the complex situation that the National Party is going through is the fact that the social democratic Colorado Party, with the presidential formula composed of the Montevideo deputy Andres Ojeda and the leader of the educational sector Robert Silvais on the rise, going from barely five percent support at the beginning of 2024 to close to 15 percent in the latest polls. Some polls even give the Social Democrats 20 percent of the votes, although at the moment never ahead of the ‘whites’.
