In a year of historic elections, Uruguay became the latest South American country to criticize the ruling party when its leftist opposition candidate, Yamandú Orsi, emerged victorious in a close presidential runoff on Sunday, overthrowing the conservative ruling coalition.
The center-right ruling coalition’s presidential nominee, Álvaro Delgado, conceded defeat to his opponent even as the vote count went on.
“We can congratulate the winner with sadness, but without guilt,” he said to supporters at his campaign headquarters in Montevideo, the country’s capital.
Crowds gathered to greet Orsi, 57, a working-class former history teacher and two-time mayor from Uruguay’s Broad Front coalition, as fireworks burst over the stage as he thanked his supporters.
He declared, “The nation of liberty, equality, and fraternity has triumphed once again.”
