Presidential transition of Yamandú Orsi

The **Presidential transition of Yamandú Orsi** was the process of change of government of Uruguay between the presidency of Luis Lacalle Pou and that of Yamandú Orsi. It began on November 24, 2024 after the electoral victory in the runoff of the Frente Amplio with its formula Yamandú Orsi - Carolina Cosse.

On November 28, the Electoral Court completed the final scrutiny, and on December 4, it officially proclaimed the Frente-Amplista formula as the winner. The transition ended on March 1, 2025, with the presidential inauguration of Yamandú Orsi.

## Overview

The transition process was classified by political scientists and political leaders as peaceful and with "the will of both parties."

However, throughout the transition there were points of disagreement between both parties: the signing of the contract for the Arazatí project by the Lacalle government, not supported by the Frente Amplio; parliamentary proclamations against the regime of Nicolás Maduro, also not supported by the FA; disagreements on different points of the contract between the Uruguayan State and the company HIF Global, for a project to install a green hydrogen plant in Paysandú; and on the invitation of the elected government to leaders of Latin American dictatorships to the inauguration ceremony, and President Lacalle's veto of this measure.

Likewise, during the transition process there were internal discrepancies between leaders of the Frente Amplio, such as the different reactions to the statements of former vice president Lucía Topolansky about some trials of crimes against humanity committed by the civil-military dictatorship; and responses from political leaders to proposals in the economic area affirmed by Gabriel Oddone, the Minister of Economy and Finance proposed by the Frente Amplio.

## Transition

After the electoral defeat of the Frente Amplio in the 2019 elections after fifteen consecutive years of government, Yamandú Orsi, then Mayor of Canelones, began to be considered presidential for the 2024 election. On March 19, 2023, the Popular Participation Movement officially announced its support for Orsi as a candidate for the Frente Amplio for the 2024 internal elections. December of that year he was officially proclaimed as one of the pre-candidates by the Congress of the Frente Amplio.

On February 20, 2024, he formally presented his resignation before the Departmental Board of Canelones to dedicate himself to the presidential campaign; which was scheduled for March 1. In the internal elections of June 30, 2024, Orsi prevailed over the also pre-candidates Carolina Cosse and Andrés Lima, being elected as the Frente Amplio candidate for the October general election. Likewise, he confirmed Cosse, then mayor of Montevideo and his internal rival, as his running mate.

On September 16, he presented the main guidelines of his government program in the Real de San Carlos bullring in Colonia del Sacramento. In the first round of the general elections, the Orsi - Cosse formula came in first place but without obtaining the absolute majority of votes, obtaining a majority in the Senate and a majority minority in the House of Representatives.

Given the need to go to a second instance, on November 17 the candidate Yamandú Orsi participated in a presidential debate alongside the candidate of the National Party and the Republican Coalition, Álvaro Delgado. The Orsi-Cosse formula won in the second round held on November 24 against the Delgado-Ripoll formula. Through the social network On Thursday, November 28, the final scrutiny culminated, producing the definitive results. On December 4, the Electoral Court officially proclaimed the Yamandú Orsi - Carolina Cosse formula as the winner.

Through the social network After the projection of the results, he was greeted by various leaders, including the presidents of Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Guatemala and Venezuela, Gabriel Boric, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Claudia Sheinbaum, Pedro Sánchez, Bernardo Arévalo and Nicolás Maduro, respectively. Likewise, international political leaders also congratulated the elected formula, such as Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Mauricio Macri, Yolanda Díaz and Claudia López Hernández.