Uruguay Inaugurates Mujica: Life after Vázquez

Uruguay Inaugurates Mujica: Life after Vázquez

• Mujica to elevate foreign policy as main driver of his presidency

• Big domestic areas have been dealt with by Vázquez and now Mujica

On March 1st, José “Pepe” Mujica, former guerilla and today social democrat and leader of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front-FA) political coalition, was inaugurated as President of Uruguay. The 74-year-old former Agriculture Minister triumphed in last November’s election with 52 % of the vote. The previous president and moderate Tabaré Vázquez of the FA became Uruguay’s first avowedly socialist leader and made a number of progressive changes to help improve the lot of the poorer segments of the population within the small nation. Now, the question is whether or not Mujica will dramatically change or follow the path of the previous administration; so far, Mujica has demonstrated his allegiance to Vázquez’s approach to governance. While Vázquez preeminently concerned himself with domestic affairs, Mujica, up until now, has displayed a distinct flair for foreign policy initiatives.

Though both were active figures within FA, a political alliance that is becoming increasingly progressive in its political make-up, Mujica is not expected to veer too far from his New Deal-like orientation toward his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez. Rather, they both have displayed a distinct predilection to emulate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as tap into the economic clout represented by their Brazilian neighbor. According to Alfredo Garcé of the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Mujica will follow "the model of Lula. To win the elections [in Brazil] he put on an Armani suit and said he wanted a government of the left but moderate to permit a political economy respectful of capitalism."

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Leland Garivaltis

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