http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/368/15045_urugway.html
Uruguay inaugurates leftist government for the first time in history
03/02/2005 14:25
Tabare Vazquez is the new President of this traditionally conservative
South American nation. Millions celebrate a victory which they say belongs "to
the people".
Uruguay completed on Tuesday an historical shift to left. For the first
time in its 174 years of history, this traditionally conservative nation
inaugurated a center-left government putting an end to an equal amount of years
of two-party rule.
Tabare Vazquez, a 64 year Socialist doctor, will have now the enormous
responsibility of fulfilling the expectations of over 3 millions of Uruguayans
who celebrated his victory in October elections as a "triumph of the people".
Chanting slogans and greeting the new authorities, thousands of Uruguayans
filled the streets of Montevideo, the European looking beautiful capital, to
express support to the President.
"I have not come alone," Vazquez told a packed ceremony at Congress. "I
take the office as president of the republic with the support of hundreds of
thousands of compatriots who expressed their democratic wishes last Oct. 31 for
a better country for all Uruguayans." Vazquez also promised, "a better country
for all".
Presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Venezuela
attended to Vazquez inauguration, as well as the Prince Felipe of Spain and
Prince Edward of the United Kingdom. Fidel Castro, who was also expected in
Montevideo to assist to the restoration of bilateral ties between Uruguay and
Cuba -broke off in 2002-, failed to attend arguing a health condition.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Vazquez in a statement
released by the Kremlin Press Service. In the document, Putin remarked the good
level of mutual "friendship, confidence and respect" between both nations. "It
is pleasing to see that Russia and Uruguay continue to hold an active political
dialogue today and are expanding their cultural and humanitarian ties", reads
Putin communiqu?.
Judging by the political line of most of the Latin American leaders who
met in Montevideo to congratulate their new counterpart, it becomes clear the
shift to left in the region. According to observers, Uruguay's turn will
strengthen the Mercosur bloc -with Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay-, as weakens
US chances to sign a free trade deal for the Americas in the short term.
The new cabinet will be composed by a representative combination of
progressive leaders coming from the Frente Amplio, or Broad Front, a 34-year
center-left coalition of Socialists, Social-Democrats, Centrist forces,
Communists and a majority of former guerrilla leaders, the worldwide famous
Tupamaros. Also for the first time in country"s history, the Colorados
(coloured) and Blancos (whites) conservative parties, will be in the opposition
after losing control over the lower and the upper chambers of the Parliament.
Vazquez"s inauguration came in a tough moment in Uruguay"s history. After
the Argentine debacle in 2001, Uruguay suffered from a financial crisis which
almost ended in crack in August 2002. However, the major problems the new
government will face are the social consequences of the economical
disarrangement, with 32% of the population living under the poverty line and
12% unemployed, a situation aggravated by the enormous foreign debt that
reached 106% of country"s GDP last year.
To attend to these demands, first measures Vazquez will launch an
ambitious Social Emergency Plan to be handled by the new Social Action Ministry
controlled by the Communist Party and to call on the Economy National Council,
where business chambers, unions and NGO"s will play an active role.
Tabare's carnival
Montevideo lives in a mood of permanent popular celebration, nowadays,
but not only thanks to the inauguration of Tabare's government, but also
because carnival season is at its best. Montevideo's carnival is a widely
popular celebration in Uruguay, which includes the competition of "murgas",
musical groups whose performances are followed with great passion by the
people.
Lyrics of Murgas' humoristic songs usually talk about Uruguayan
life-style, country"s culture, soccer and, most of all, politics. Composers
have been always of popular extraction and critics of the conservative rule.
That is why is not difficult to understand why this year, most of them
dedicated their songs to celebrate the Frente Amplio victory in October
elections.
In the "tablados", carnival theaters, murga singers greeted the victory
of "Tabare", as they friendly call the new President, as well as remembered all
those who suffered from persecution during the military dictatorship that ruled
the country between 1973 and 1984.
"It"s a victory of the people of Uruguay who dared to change", sings
Falta y Resto, one of the most popular of these murgas, in a tablado crowned by
a huge national flag, just as huge as the hope of these South Americans who,
effectively, dared to change.
Hernan Etchaleco
Montevideo - Buenos Aires
Photo (PRAVDA.Ru): Uruguayans wave the red, blue and white tricolor flag
of the Frente Amplio, a traditional ensign which once belonged to Gen. Jose
Artigas' popular militias early in the 19th century.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4311957.stm
Last Updated: Wednesday, 2 March, 2005, 16:03 GMT
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South America's leftward sweep
The inauguration this week of the latest left-wing president to be
elected in South America, Tabare Vasquez of Uruguay, has led analysts to talk
of a "pink tide" sweeping the region.
The BBC's James Painter looks at some of the common elements of these new
regimes, including what is being called a "polite distancing" from Washington.
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Three-quarters of South America's 350 million people are now ruled by
left-leaning presidents, all of whom have been elected in the last six years.
Mr Vasquez is expected to follow a centrist economic policy
Even though there are important differences, for example, between the
fiery rhetoric of Venezuela's President Chavez and the cautious economic
policies of President Lula of Brazil, there are some common themes emerging.
It should be no surprise, for example, that the first measure President
Vasquez of Uruguay announced was the restoration of diplomatic links with Cuba.
Many of these new governments are indeed sympathetic to the left's
revolutionary past, and a radical foreign policy can help to give them
legitimacy amongst their supporters.
"Lula needs the credentials lent to him by both Chavez and Castro," Larry
Birns, director of the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs, told
the BBC, "as they are both concerned with social justice and other leftist
causes. Lula's party, the Workers Party, also has that kind of creed and
belief."
But on the economic front they are inspired less by Fidel Castro's state
control of the economy than by the social democrat or "third way" experiences
in Europe and within their region.
Lula looks to the left's revolutionary past for his credentials
A former President of Uruguay, Julio Maria Sanguinetti, says the Vasquez
government will be no different.
"It will follow a centrist economic policy with a traditional leftist
rhetoric," he said in a BBC interview.
"It will continue the same monetary policy and rigorous fiscal
discipline. It will continue to service the debt, and it will continue to
prioritise good relations with the USA."
Another common element of the "pink tide" is a clean break with what was
known at the outset of the 1990s as the "Washington consensus", the mixture of
open markets and privatisation pushed by the United States. That failed to
narrow the gap between the rich and millions of poor.
Cautious economics
"There's a general miasma that governments are too beholden to the United
States," says Larry Birns. "The new generation of leaders who resent the
traditional US domination of the region are standing up to the Free Trade
Agreement of the Americas. They are also getting closer to Europe than
Washington would like."
Many are seeking friendly relations with China
But it is clear that - with the exception of Venezuela - Washington is
not over-concerned with the "polite distancing" of much of Latin America from
its free market recipes or its foreign policies, including towards Cuba.
This is because most governments are still pro-foreign investment, and
fiscally cautious even though they want to do more for the poor. And even in
the case of Venezuela, President Chavez's bark is different to his bite. So far
he has made no moves to stop oil exports to the USA or stop foreign companies
investing.
Some right-wing analysts say Washington should be more concerned about
another common theme of this "pink tide".
Many of these new presidents are seeking to diversify their foreign
relations, particularly with China but also with other emerging powers.
President Chavez's next port of call after his trip to Uruguay is India.
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