La ola conservadora en Uruguay: claves de la derrota electoral de la izquierda en 2019

Abstract

The electoral scene in Uruguay offers interesting counterpoints in a Latin America shaken by the decline of progressive governments, by a negative economic panorama characterized by recession and neoliberal reforms, by regressive processes of expanding social inequality and the deterioration of democracy and the ensuing rise of authoritarian practices. This article focuses on the third leftwing government and the 2019 national election, which can be understood via two opposing dynamics. On the one hand, an ideological dispute along party lines between the two blocs: one progressive and leftwing, promoting the reforms put forth in the Broad Front governments; another conservative and rightwing, seeking to put a break on reforms and with a view towards fiscal adjustment and including economic elites and the military in national politics. On the other hand, a political debate in which the left was unable to free itself from negative public opinion concerning the performance of the government, opening up a vacuum which was coopted by rightwing opposition candidates promoting a discourse at odds with those of traditional professional politicians.

Keywords

• political parties
• Uruguay
• left
• progressive government