Page 12 - aruba-today-20191125

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 25 noveMber 2019
Uruguay's leftist government at risk in election

By LEONARDO HABERKORN Martínez, a member of
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay the Socialist Party, repre-
(AP) — A 15-year string of sents the more moderate
center-left governments and center-left wing of the
was on the line Sunday as Broad Front, which is a co-
Uruguay's Broad Front co- alition of social democrats,
alition faced a presidential communists, Christian dem-
runoff election challenge ocrats and former guerrilla
from a united opposition. members.
The National Party's Luis Martinez is a noted cycling
Lacalle Pou, who lost the enthusiast while Lacalle
presidential runoff five Pou favors surfing.
years ago, held a notice- Martínez earned the most
able though apparently votes in October's first
single-digit lead over the round, topping Lacalle Pou
Broad Front's Daniel Mar- 39% to 29%. But the chal-
tínez in polls heading into lenger managed to win the
the vote. support of four parties that
Lacalle Pou, a 46-year-old were knocked out by that
lawyer and a former sena- balloting.
tor, is anything but an out- Uruguay so far has escaped
sider. His father is former This combination of file photos shows presidential candidate of the Broad Front ruling party Daniel the turbulent, sometimes
President Luis Alberto La- Martinez, left, on Oct. 20, 2019, and rival Luis Lacalle Pou, leader of the opposition National Party, partisan protests that have
calle and his mother was a on Oct. 22, 2019, both in Montevideo, Uruguay. swept Chile, Bolivia and
senator. Associated Press recently Colombia, and
He's attacked the adminis- Vázquez took note of that
tration of current President years. The center-right can- Martínez, a 62-year-old en- says that when the Broad as he voted on Sunday.
Tabaré Vázquez for a soft didate has also hammered gineer who was recently Front first came to power, "All Uruguayans have to
economy, reminding vot- at rising crime in the coun- mayor of Montevideo and 1 million people were living feel proud of being the
ers that the unemployment try of 3.4 million people and previously industry minister, in poverty, almost one third people we are, respect-
rate has risen to 9.2% and has promised to rein in pub- has been reminding voters of the population. That ful of law, respectful of the
that more than 50,000 jobs lic spending to curb a rising of his party's longer record, number has plummeted, to constitution, respectful of
have been lost in recent deficit. dating back to 2005. He 8.1%. the opposition," he said.q

Bolivian lawmakers approve new elections, bar ex-president

By PAOLA FLORES protest.
Associated Press Officials say at least 32
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Boliv- people have died in dem-
ian lawmakers on Saturday onstrations since the presi-
unanimously approved a dential election, which
measure calling for new would be annulled by Sat-
presidential elections that urday's vote.
would exclude former An agreement late Friday
leader Evo Morales — a on elections between Mo-
key step toward pacifying rales' party and the interim
a nation rocked by unrest government helped pacify
since an Oct. 20 marred by the country. Street block-
reported irregularities. ades were lifted, allowing
The bill was first approved supplies to reach market-
by the Senate and then lat- places Saturday in areas
er in the day by the lower that had been short of gro-
house, both of which are ceries and gas.
dominated by Morales' Sen. Oscar Ortiz said the bill
Movement Toward Social- calls for updating the elec-
ism party. Interim President toral rolls, naming a com-
Jeanine Áñez tweeted that pletely new electoral tribu-
she would promulgate the nal to oversee the vote.
bill into law Sunday morn- Bolivia's interim President Jeanine Anez speaks during a press conference at the presidential pal- "We have to generate con-
ing. ace, in La Paz, Bolivia, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. fidence in the population,"
"I want to thank our par- Associated Press said Sen. Omar Aguilar,
liamentarians for having from Morales' party.
understood and heard the nal. key issue in protests against An audit by a team from Also Saturday, Áñez re-
demands of the Bolivian The measure forbids reelec- him. the Organization of Ameri- jected a bill presented by
people," Áñez wrote. tion of anyone who has Morales' claim of victory can States found wide- Morales' party that would
The Supreme Electoral Tri- served the last two terms and a fourth term in the spread irregularities in that have prevented the ousted
bunal will set the date for consecutively as president, election prompted mas- election. president from being tried
the new elections. Bolivia's effectively ruling out Mo- sive protests that led him After Morales left for asy- for alleged crimes commit-
lawmakers must still select rales, whose refusal to ac- to resign on Nov. 10 at the lum in Mexico, his own sup- ted during the exercise of
new members to the tribu- cept such term limits was a army's suggestion. porters took to the streets in his functions to date.q