MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay: No surprises in a primary with a record of candidates

The former mayor of Montevideo, Daniel Martínez (right), Senator Luis Lacalle Pou (center) and the liberal economist Ernesto Talvi (left): the three candidates for the presidency of Uruguay

In a primary election full of new faces and overshadowed by accusations of “dirty” campaigns, there were no surprises in the results of the internal elections of Uruguay's main political parties, according to the data of the pollsters. Daniel Martínez (Frente Amplio), Luis Lacalle Pou (National Party) and Ernesto Talvi (Colorado Party) will represent the three parties with the greatest adhesion in the country, starting a new stage in the national elections in October.

With a 40% of the electorate participation (of 2,677,644 voters), 15 parties competed, bringing together 28 pre-candidates for the presidency and some 3,000 lists were presented to cover national and municipal positions.

The pollsters made their screening projections on Sunday night, pending the complete data of the Electoral Court. With the passing of the minutes, the results will be adjusted, but until 9:00 pm they were the following (According to Factum poll):

Frente Amplio
 (Left rulling-coaliton)
Daniel Martínez: 41,3 % 
Carolina Cosse: 25,9 %
Oscar Andrade: 22,4 %
Mario Bergara: 10,3 %

Nacional Party (Conservatives)
Luis Lacalle Pou: 55,5 % Juan 
Sartori: 20,6 %
 Jorge Larrañaga: 15,9 %
 Enrique Antía: 7,5 %

Colorado Party
 (Conservative Republicans)
Ernesto Talvi: 58 %
 Julio Sanguinetti: 32 % 
Amorín Batlle: 10 %.

According to the Minister of the Electoral Court, Wilfredo Penco, Cerro Largo, Flores and Durazno reached 50%. Meanwhile, Montevideo reached 34% and Canelones 35%.
These elections are characterized by the great variety of pre-candidates and lists.

According to official data, the National Party has the most votes: 1,319. Followed by the ruling Broad Front: 887 and the Colorado Party: 661.

Dirty campaign

The internal elections of one of the most stable democracies in Latin America this time became an event full of unknowns and some surprises, especially within the very traditional National Party (PN), a conservative formation that saw the emergence of a surprise candidate, Juan Sartori, Son-in-law of the Russian billionaire Dimitri Rybolovlev.

The leaders of the National Party went to the justice in June to denounce the use of false news on various social networks against several presidential candidates.

In spite of not accusing Sartori directly, they pointed him out as the author of dozens of messages, calls and false news that denigrate his two competitors: Luis Lacalle Pou (favorite of the contest) and Jorge Larrañaga. Sartori acknowledged that the Venezuelan Juan José Rendón, a specialist in “black propaganda”, is part of his extensive team of advisers, but he says he uses it to defend himself against such campaigns.