MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Delgado and Orsi to hold presidential debate on Nov. 17

It will be the second eristics duel since it was made mandatory by law

Uruguay's Presidential candidates Álvaro Delgado and Yamandú Orsi will be debating on Nov. 17, one week before the runoff, it was announced Tuesday in Montevideo. The eristics duel will be split into five blocks, it was also agreed by the two campaign teams.

 The encounter will be held in Estudio9, the same venue of the 2019 debate between Daniel Martínez and Luis Lacalle Pou.

Tuesday's understanding was reached during a meeting at Vice President Beatriz Argimón's offices in Parliament. The organizing groups will now have to submit the details to the National Electoral Court, including the names of those who will act as moderators. Discussions will revolve around security, healthcare, education, safety, and production, among others, it was explained. The debate has been mandatory by law since 2019 for candidates in the second round.

National Party (Delgado's force) campaign coordinator Nicolás Martínez said in a press conference that the debate was “important.” However, he was not so sure it would decide an election, which would be “up to the citizenry to say.”

Broad Front Campaign Manager Alejandro Sánchez stressed that “in a democracy, whenever there is discussion and debate, we all come out strengthened.”

It will be the second mandatory debate since the law was passed. The measure requests that the presidential candidates who received the most votes in the first round should discuss the most relevant issues during a prime-time show broadcast on radio and TV, which cannot last more than two hours. On the first occasion back in 2019, Lacalle Pou outperformed Martínez.