Uruguay's 1st socialist president, Tabare Vazquez, dies at 80
Uruguay's first socialist president, Tabaré Vázquez, who rose from poverty to win two terms as leader, died Sunday of cancer, a disease the physician dedicated much of his life to fighting.
The 80-year-old oncologist announced last year that he had lung cancer. His family confirmed that he died on Sunday a week after suffering a thrombosis in his left leg.
President Luis Lacalle Pou, a center-right political opponent, declared three days of honors.
Vázquez shook up Uruguayan politics when he became president for the first time in 2005, peacefully ending 170 years of two-party dominance at the head of a Broad Front coalition of socialists, Christian Democrats, Communists and former guerrillas.
As president, he overhauled the healthcare system and expanded aid for families, children and the elderly. GDP grew 4% annually during the 2005-20 Broad Front era - compared to 1.5% in the previous 50 years - while poverty fell from 40% to 8.1%.
“The initiatives impacted the lives of children, workers and women, contributing to improved standards of living and a sharp reduction in poverty,” said Jenny Pribble, the coordinator of global studies at the University of Richmond and author of a book about Vázquez.
At: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Uruguay-s-1st-socialist-president-Tabare-15779796.php
Uruguay's late former President Tabaré Vázquez during a ceremony the day before leaving office on March 1.
Vázquez promised changes that would “shake the roots of the trees.” But he governed as a relatively cautious moderate, avoiding the polarization that have caused upheaval in other South American nations.
Amid prosperity and improved social conditions, Vázquez's Broad Front governed for 15 consecutive years - with Vázquez at the helm for 10.
Fellow Broad Front leader José Mujica, 85, who governed Uruguay in 2010-15, declared that “the best way to honor him is for the new generations to continue fighting for a better country, a little better.”
