Left-wing victory in Uruguay, President Orsi takes office

(Patria) - Yamandu Orsi was sworn in as president of Uruguay, returning the South American country of 3.4 million people to left-wing rule after five years of center-right leadership by Luis Lacalle Pou, AFP reported last night.

Uruguay, one of the most prosperous and stable countries in Latin America, celebrated four decades of uninterrupted democracy on Saturday.

"The good health of democracy is closely linked to achieving certain standards of well-being," said Orsi (57), in a speech after his inauguration at the legislative palace in Montevideo.

He also paid tribute to his eighty-nine-year-old mentor, beloved former president Jose Pepe Mujica, who campaigned for Orsi while battling esophageal cancer.

Elected for a five-year term, Orsi has pledged to protect Uruguay's economy, tackle drug-related crime, and strive for "sustainable and humane" development.

He is the ninth president since 1985, when the thirteen-year civil-military dictatorship, blamed for the unexplained disappearances of hundreds of Uruguayans, ended.

The effects of that period remain, said Orsi, adding that it is "essential to preserve the commitment to freedom, truth, and justice".

Delegates from more than sixty countries attended the swearing-in ceremony, and Orsi held bilateral meetings with several leaders on Friday. He also hosted the leaders of Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, all left-wing, at a barbecue.

Orsi will preside over a divided parliament, with his Broad Front coalition controlling only the Senate. But analysts say his biggest challenges could stem from internal coalition tensions, testing his reputation as a skilled negotiator.

Orsi will face pressure to meet social demands without increasing the budget deficit, at a time when a persistent drought is reducing growth estimates of three percent this year.