A Frente Amplio supporter poses for a picture as they wait for the results during the general election, at the seaside, in Montevideo, Uruguay October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mariana GreifSource: REUTERS
A leftist history teacher and a center-right veterinarian will face off in the presidential run-off in Uruguay next month after emerging as the top candidates in Sunday’s first round of elections.
Yamandu Orsi of the left-wing Frente Amplio party secured 43.9 per cent of the vote, while Alvaro Delgado of the ruling coalition led by outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou garnered 26.7 per cent, according to electoral court results released Monday, October 28.
With over 99 per cent of the votes counted, the run-off will take place on November 24, as no candidate achieved the necessary majority of over 50 per cent. Orsi, 57, and Delgado, 55, triumphed over nine other contenders vying to succeed Lacalle Pou, who is ineligible for a second consecutive term despite enjoying a 50-percent approval rating.
Celebrating his progress, Orsi rallied supporters on Sunday night, urging them for a final push. "There is little left; we will triumph!" he declared. Meanwhile, Delgado celebrated his position alongside coalition partners, labelling it the "most voted political project in this country."