03/01/2020 - 14:50
- Clarín.com
- World
Uruguay finishes this Sunday 15 years of governments of the Frente Amplio with the assumption of Luis Lacalle Pou , who comes to the presidency with the promise of lowering public spending, reducing insecurity and facilitating immigration.
The leader of the right-wing National Party (PN), who succeeded in unlocking the Broad Front with a coalition of five political forces that go from the center to a more radical right, has already departed from his home to the Legislative Palace, seat of Parliament.
There, former president José Mujica will take an oath of honor to the presidential formula before all legislators. Mujica will assume this task as president of the General Assembly, a position that after the assumption will be carried out by the new vice president, Beatriz Argimón.
After the oath, Lacalle Pou will move to Plaza Independencia in a 1937 Ford V8 that belonged to his great-grandfather Luis Alberto de Herrera, a historic leader of the PN. The vehicle was also used by his father, former president Luis Alberto Lacalle (1990-1995), the day he assumed.
On a raised stand, the square will receive the presidential band from the outgoing president Tabaré Vázquez at 4:40 p.m. (7:40 p.m. GMT).
Lacalle Pou is a 46-year-old lawyer who worked as a legislator for two decades . He arrives at the presidential chair on his second attempt after defeating the official candidate Daniel Martínez in ballot in November by a difference of 1.5% of the votes.
Everything prepared for the assumption of Luis Lacalle Pou. Photo: Reuters
The challenges of the new government
Thousands of riders supporters of the PN arrived in the city with their horses from different parts of the country to accompany the ceremony.
Lacalle Pou, who assumes the presidency in a country with a stagnant economy, a fiscal deficit of 4.6% and an increase in unemployment, announced that he will take immediate measures on several fronts, from reducing public spending to facilitating immigration or combating unsafety.
One of its first challenges will be the passage of the Urgent Consideration Law (LUC), with 457 articles dealing with issues such as security, economics and education. This project, which Parliament should approve in a maximum of 90 days, has already generated protests from various sectors and has led the teachers' union to call a strike for March 12.
Even members of the ruling coalition formed by the PN, the Colorado Party (PC, liberal), Cabildo Open (CA, radical right), the People's Party (PG, right) and the Independent Party (PI, social democrat) have presented repairs to the eraser.
The incoming president also announced his intention to implement radical changes in foreign policy , which was evidenced in the invitations issued for his investiture, where the presidents of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela were excluded, whose president, Nicolás Maduro, described as "dictator ".
The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, arrives for the oath of the Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou, this Sunday at the Legislative Palace of Montevideo (Uruguay). EFE / Raúl Martínez
Instead, there will be the presidents of Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Chile. Also King Felipe VI of Spain, whom Lacalle Pou celebrated on Saturday with a barbecue in his home.
President Alberto Fernández excused himself from participating on the grounds that on the same day he opened the ordinary sessions of the Congress in his country.
Photo: AFP.
