Former Marxist Guerrilla fighter leads Uruguay election for president.

Jose MujicaJose Mujica was one of the founders of the Tupamaros guerrillas and served 14 years in prison but seems destined to replace the present president Vazquez both of whom are within the same governing Broad Front. The Broad Front broke the grip of the two party system representing the Uruguayan elites and managed to bring in reforms that helped the worst off and have helped the economy by a pragmatic approach. Unlike Chavez, or Uribe!, Vazquez did not attempt to change term limits to stay in power more than one term but Mujica is expected to carry on with similar policies.

October 27, 2009
Ex-Guerrilla Ahead in Uruguay Vote
By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - A Socialist former guerrilla fighter known for speaking his mind emerged the clear winner of Sunday's election for president of Uruguay but did not muster enough votes to avoid a November runoff, in what analysts said was a referendum on the current leftist government.

José Mujica, a Socialist senator who spent 14 years in prison after waging an urban guerilla war seeking to install a Marxist-style government here, was the candidate of the governing Broad Front coalition, whose tenure has improved economic conditions in Uruguay.

Mr. Mujica won 47.5 percent of the vote, according to the official count released Monday by the Electoral Court.

He will face Luis Alberto Lacalle, a conservative former president and the candidate of the National Party, who won 28.5 percent. The Colorado Party had 16.7 percent.

The runoff election will be on Nov. 29.

Under President Vázquez, the Broad Front coalition led Uruguay out of a deep economic funk earlier this decade. Broad Front was the first leftist movement in Uruguay to break the hold of a two-party system under which either the National or the Colorado party held power for more than 150 years.

Uruguay's Constitution does not allow for re-election, and Mr. Vázquez, in contrast to leaders like Hugo Chávez of Venezuela or Álvaro Uribe of Colombia, did not push for a referendum to loosen term limits.

....Mr. Vázquez followed a prescription of raising taxes on the wealthy to finance social programs for the poor and working class, like major construction of low-income housing and an expansion of health care to all workers and their children.

Since the financial crisis of 2002, Uruguay's unemployment rate dropped by half to about 7 percent and the percentage of people classified as poor fell to about 20 percent from 35 percent, government figures show.

Uruguay's race pitted Mr. Lacalle, a neo-liberal who wants to eliminate the income tax and favors privatizing state firms and shrinking government, against Mr. Mujica, who believes in more state involvement in industries and has said he would continue to deepen social programs.

.....

Mr. Lacalle, 68, is a former lawyer and journalist from Uruguay's political elite who helped found the Mercosur trade bloc during a difficult period of hyperinflation.

Mr. Mujica, 74, a founder of the Tupamaro guerilla movement that tried to lead a social revolution here, was jailed for most of the military dictatorship and was also tortured.