Uruguayans will return to the polls in 2024 to elect a new president to succeed Luis Lacalle Pou. The elections will be held on Sunday, October 27. Andrés Ojeda, the presidential candidate for Uruguay from the Colorado Party, recently visited the offices of Editorial Perfil.
### Andrés Ojeda on Modern Politics
“The world is moving towards younger, more dynamic, energetic leaders with a high capacity for adaptation,” Ojeda began. According to the Colorado Party’s presidential candidate, “in the next five years, we will see more changes than in the past 50 years.”
Continuing on this topic, Ojeda remarked that we are experiencing a “generational shift, a change of era” where the new presidents of the region are already marking this new epoch with their style, even if they come from different political parties. He cited Uruguay as an example, noting that “Lacalle Pou’s period was beneficial as it dispelled the fear of youth in politics.”
For Ojeda, “politics have changed” and it’s not about a confrontation between right and left anymore. “Now we’re facing the future versus the past, new politics versus old politics,” he said. He further added, “Milei, whether you like him or not, represents new politics as he challenges all the paradigms of traditional politics.”
Ojeda believes that “territorial political structures do not determine elections now; people’s opinions do.” He added that people “no longer need a leader or a coordinator to explain a candidate.”
### Current Economic Situation in Uruguay
Regarding the current situation in Uruguay, the Colorado Party representative mentioned that Uruguay has all the conditions to be the first developed country in Latin America due to its political and economic stability and certainty in its decisions. However, he noted, “it is an expensive country due to its high expenses.” In Uruguay, “the cost of living is high,” Ojeda emphasized, adding that the minimum wage is around 22,000 Uruguayan pesos, approximately 500 dollars.
### Presidential Elections and Alliances
Addressing the presidential candidacies, Ojeda mentioned that the campaigns are marked by an alliance between the National Party and other parties, with the most significant being the National Party and the Colorado Party, competing against the Broad Front. “In October, the Parliament is decided, and two candidates are chosen to compete in November, similar to the situation in Argentina,” he explained.
### Relationship with Javier Milei and Relations with Argentina
When asked about the relationship with Argentina, Ojeda highlighted its importance for Uruguay, particularly due to the size and volume of Argentina’s economy. He mentioned, “The recent meeting between Lacalle Pou and Milei to discuss issues such as the free trade agreement with the European Union is an example of sensible decisions based on mutual interests.”
He further expressed that Uruguay relies on investments and placing products with low tariffs and indicated that “the cooperation in investments between Uruguay and Argentina should be as close as that between brothers.”
To conclude, Ojeda reiterated, “Territorial political structures no longer determine elections; people’s opinions do.”
