00:00Let's now go over more details on this Sunday's presidential runoff.
00:04We are joined by political scientist Diego Perez.
00:06Hello Diego, welcome from the South.
00:09Hello, nice to meet you.
00:12Hi, it's a pleasure to have you.
00:13Diego, what are the key policy differences between the candidates in this runoff,
00:18particularly regarding social welfare and economic development,
00:21as well as health care and education reforms,
00:24key issues that were on the table on the road to Election Day?
00:29Well, if we see the candidate from the Frente Amplio, YamandĂș Orsi,
00:36he has a left-leaning tendency,
00:41which means that he believes strongly in the state's intervention,
00:47and also he wants to improve especially economic indicators and social indicators
00:54regarding education as well as health.
01:00Whereas the right candidate, he tends to continue,
01:07Delgado wants to continue with La Calle Po's term
01:13in terms of this more restrictive, more business-oriented,
01:19private-oriented policies,
01:22which means that the gap between the rich and the poor would continue amplifying.
01:29So probably that's the main difference.
01:32And also I think that it's important to highlight the difference
01:38regarding their connection to the continent,
01:43where the Frente Amplio candidate, Orsi,
01:47wants a stronger relationship between Uruguay and the rest of the continent.
01:53Meanwhile, the right candidate, Alvarado,
01:56wants a more independent, more isolationist view regarding the continent.
02:07The climate crisis is also a main aspect to consider.
02:11What are the candidates' positions on environmental issues
02:14and how might their policies affect Uruguay's sustainability efforts?
02:18Well, Uruguay has always had a very tense relationship
02:25regarding the environment, certainly,
02:28and I think that the Frente Amplio candidate
02:32wants a stronger intervention from the state,
02:36trying to contain several of the key aspects that promote and provoke pollution.
02:45As I said before, the right candidate wants to promote businesses,
02:55independent businesses, private sector businesses,
02:58and that means lifting restrictions,
03:02provoking a more loose role of the state
03:06regarding how they would control the intervention of the state
03:12in the environmental issues.
03:16How do you see the proposed economic strategies of each candidate differ
03:21and what are the potential short-term and long-term impacts on the national economy?
03:27Well, a stronger state intervention, in the case of the Frente Amplio,
03:32would mean trying to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor,
03:37but also has an impact on businesses.
03:39I mean, they would be subject to higher taxes,
03:44they would be subjected to stronger bureaucratic processes,
03:53as well as stronger restrictions coming from the law.
03:58On the other side, a more loose state intervention
04:05would mean, of course, more options for the businesses,
04:08but that has a toll on the issues regarding social justice.
04:16Now, the thing is that probably, currently,
04:21the Uruguayan society has had a decline on social issues
04:31and has had a decline on the quality of life.
04:34So that would mean that probably the right-leaning candidate
04:38would have a more difficult task in collecting the popular vote
04:45in order to get the election to his side.
04:49Probably the people now are facing a moment where they feel tired
04:55of this same type of public policy, especially on the economic side,
05:00and they want a more interventionist, more protective state around them.
05:07You were previously referring to Uruguay's relationship with the region
05:11and the rest of the world.
05:13How do you see this happening, depending on each candidate's position,
05:17how is going to be its relation with Mercosur and other trade agreements,
05:21and what are the candidates' view on Uruguay's diplomatic relations
05:23with neighboring countries, especially in light of recent regional political developments?
05:29Well, as I said, the thing with YamandĂș Orsi is that he has been very outspoken
05:38regarding how he would address the region.
05:42He has been known for believing in Mercosur,
05:46and he wants also to promote a stronger role, a stronger relationship
05:53from Uruguay to the other countries in the region.
05:58It is key to say that even though Akechepo, or actually Alvarado,
06:03hasn't been against the Mercosur and the integration policies,
06:09they are seeing these processes more in a bilateral way,
06:16whereas Orsi is seeing this in a more multilateral, more organized,
06:23and with more countries involved processes.
06:27Now, a key aspect there is China.
06:31Probably, I think these two candidates have an agreement
06:36regarding the role that China has with Uruguay, with the Uruguayan economy,
06:42and, I mean, the regional economy.
06:45So, in that aspect, I think that they would agree that the key role
06:55that China might have in the region is probably being seen in its full picture
07:03in this election, where both candidates are agreeing
07:07that China has to have a very strong relationship with them,
07:12and it has a very strong role in the country's economy.
07:20Diego, we have time for one more question.
07:22What challenges do you foresee for the winning candidate,
07:25regardless of who ultimately prevails in this election?
07:30Well, probably the main challenge that either candidate will have is security.
07:36Uruguay has had a very strong problem regarding security and narco-trafficking
07:41in the last months, in the last years, actually.
07:44And I think that the main issue for any candidate would be to ensure
07:51that the country would pacify and to ensure that the country will have enough potential
07:59to contain the spread of narco-trafficking and organized crime organizations within the country.
08:06Now, the second thing, it has to deal with the region.
08:13Uruguay's relations with Argentina are currently broken,
08:18and even though the relations with Brazil are going in a very good way,
08:26they should also be strengthened.
08:29So probably these are the two issues.
08:31Now, in the internal front, probably the main issue is social disparities,
08:38and they will have to work strongly towards reducing the gap between rich and poor.
08:45Thank you, Diego, for your time and your inputs here from the South.
08:50Thank you very much. Have a good day.
08:52You too. It was a pleasure to have you.
08:54That was Diego Perez, a political scientist,
08:57expressing his opinions and his inputs on everything that is happening today in Uruguay
09:01as the country decides on the next president and vice president.
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