Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas
PEOPLE PROFILE is published every Tuesday and describes the professional background of key people emerging in the political and economic scenario.
Who is Tabaré Vázquez?
He is the leader of the leftist opposition coalition Frente Amplio de Uruguay,
which includes under its umbrella Socialists, Communists, former tupamaro guerrillas,
and independents. Vázquez is the presidential candidate of the Frente
for the elections in October this year.
Why watch him?
The successive economic and financial crises borne by the Uruguayan government,
in addition to contretemps with Brazil and Argentina, have strengthened the
position of Vázquez ahead of the elections. Analysts predict that he
will capitalise on the disastrous performance of incumbent President Jorge Batlle
to win the elections after two previous failures. A Vázquez victory should
result in a rapprochement with Brazil as Vázquez, with his willingness
to question neoliberal policies, is far more in tune with Brazilian President
Lula than is Batlle.
The file
Date of birth: 17 January 1940
Place of birth: Montevideo, Uruguay
Education: Graduated from medical school in December 1969. Specialised in oncology and radiotherapy. In 1985, he became a doctor of oncology and radiotherapy.
Public life: Married to María Auxiliadora Delgado, he has three sons, Ignacio, Alvaro and Javier. In the mid-1990s Vázquez became the first leftist mayor of Montevideo.
Timeline
1972-1985: Produces hundreds of articles for national and international medical publications.
1990: Frente Amplio chooses him to run as its candidate for mayor of Montevideo. He wins and takes over on 15 February 1990.
1994: Runs in presidential elections for the Frente. Loses out to Luis Alberto Lacalle.
1994-1996: Proclaimed president of the Frente Amplio and coalition partner Encuentro Progresista.
2000: Wins the first round of presidential elections but loses the second round to Jorge Batlle, when Uruguay’s traditional parties, the Blancos and the Colorados, form an alliance to keep him out of power.
2003: Nominated as presidential candidate for the third time.
February 2004: Vázquez is the frontrunner in all of the polls and widely tipped to win October’s elections, with the alliance of the Blancos and Colorados ruptured following the financial debacle in 2001.
Strong points:
Vázquez is widely respected in Latin America. In Uruguay he is admired
for his practice of oncology, his unswerving loyalty to his political roots,
and his stint as mayor of Montevideo. Like Brazil’s Lula, he has popular
appeal but he is distrusted by the economic élite.
Weak points:
His two previous defeats count against him in the eyes of some Uruguayans, but
then Lula lost three consecutive presidential contests before he came to power.
The traditional parties say that the disparate composition of the Frente means
that it will not be able to govern successfully. It has compared the Frente
to Argentina’s failed ruling coalition Alianza (1999-2001), which collapsed
after former President Fernando de la Rúa resigned in the face of a massive
economic and financial crisis.
Prospects:
Vázquez should win the presidential elections. His main campaign support
comes from President Batlle, whose mishandling of the economy and fractious
relationships with Brazil and Argentina boost Vázquez’s chances
by the day.