Historic left victory in Uruguay

While the media has been flooded with news of the re-election 
of George W Bush as President of the US, not much has been 
recorded about the truly momentous developments taking place in 
Uruguay. A few days before the disastrous US results, Tabari 
Vazquez was elected President of the Latin American country. The 
success of the left candidate ends 174 years of the monopoly on 
power by the ruling class National and Colorado parties and 
continues the strong trend in the region towards progressive 
governments.

Vazquez, a doctor by profession, is the leader of the Frente 
Amplio (Broad Front) — a coalition of 11 communist, socialist 
and other progressive organisations established in 1971. His 
candidacy was also backed by Encuentro Progressista (Progressive 
Encounter) and Nueva Mayorma (New Majority). He won 55 percent of 
the vote, eclipsing the figures for the National Party (37 
percent) and the Colorado Party (11 percent).

Underscoring the victory of the left forces, a referendum to 
insert public control of the water supply in the constitution was 
passed by over 60 per cent of voters. The previous government had 
already sent a letter of intention to the International Monetary 
Fund promising to extend private ownership over these vital 
services. Uruguay now joins South Africa in moving to outlaw the 
private ownership of water.

The new President's election was greeted with festive gatherings 
on the streets of Montevideo. Uruguayan author and social 
commentator Eduardo Galeano told a Brazilian daily "Vazquez is 
not a demagogue. He took the right way. He was not an important 
government official and built his career in the neighbourhoods." 
Galeano believes that Vazquez will turn around the situation of a 
wonderful country reduced to ruins and sadness. He expressed his 
confidence that Vazquez will see to it that Uruguay "will not be 
a factory of poor anymore".

A statement from the National Executive Committee of the 
Communist Party of Uruguay saluted the "great and true creators 
of the resounding victory — the people of Uruguay". The 
International Relations Department rejected claims from the 
foreign press that the victory was "easy". General Secretary 
Marina Arismendi was quoted as saying that victory had not come 
easily — it followed years of oppression, the coup d'itat, the 
suffering of thousands of political prisoners, the assassination 
of students and the privations of the neo-liberal model.

It is expected that the new President will establish closer ties 
with Argentina and Brazil and move to extricate the country from 
its problematic ties with the regional MERCOSUR economic pact. 
Uruguay will seek to renegotiate its debts and the price of its 
agricultural products. Relations with Cuba are set to be re-
established.

Venezuela's President Chavez sent a message of congratulations to 
Tabari Vazquez on his convincing win. He welcomed his "comrade, 
friend and fellow fighter" to the "front line in the battle for 
justice for the people". On the same day as the historic vote in 
Uruguay, the popularity of Chavez' Bolivarian Revolution was 
confirmed with impressive wins in regional and local elections in 
Venezuela.