Tabare Vazquez

Vazquez claimed victory after exit polls showed he had won the Oct. 31 race, outpacing two other candidates to trigger raucous street celebrations.

The victory for the 64-year-old Vazquez adds the nation of 3.4 million to a continental drift that has seen leftist and center-left leaders come to power in Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela over public disenchantment with financial turmoil, and U.S.-backed free-market economic policies. Vazquez has promised moderate policies, with an emphasis on helping the country's poor.

The CIFRA and Factum polling groups gave nearly identical figures of 51 percent for Vazquez and his Broad Front leftist coalition, and 34 percent for runner-up Jorge Larranaga of the National Party.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 6, 2004
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