Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Un altro passo verso un SudAmerica socialista

Tabare Vazquez presidente
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/consumer_news/10065345.htm?1c
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - Leftist candidate Tabare Vazquez declared victory in 
Uruguay's presidential election Sunday after exit polls showed him surging 
past two rivals with a majority of the votes, apparently aligning this small 
South American country with a regionwide political shift leftward.
Victory for the 64-year-old Vazquez, who would become the first leftist 
president in Uruguayan history, would add the nation to Argentina, Brazil, 
and Venezuela as countries where leftist or center-left leaders came to 
power on public disenchantment with financial turmoil and with U.S.-backed 
free-market economic policies. Vazquez has promised moderate policies, with 
an emphasis on helping the country's poor.
"Uruguayans, let's celebrate!" Vazquez, an oncologist and former mayor of 
Montevideo, shouted from a balcony Sunday night, addressing thousands of 
chanting, cheering supporters in the capital.
Both the CIFRA and Factum polling groups gave nearly identical figures of 51 
percent for Vazquez of the Broad Front leftist coalition and 34 percent for 
runner-up Jorge Larranaga of the National Party. The exit polls did not give 
a margin of error.
Vazquez was widely seen as the front-runner in a race against Larranaga of 
the National Party and Guillermo Stirling of the ruling Colorado party. Both 
men later conceded the race before initial official results were released. 
Stirling was showing running with around 10 percent of the ballot in the 
exit polls.
Thousands of Vazquez supporters cheered raucously and waved flags in the 
streets as those two exit polls and a third one released on television late 
Sunday upheld earlier projections of a one-round victory for Vazquez.
The balloting proceeded calmly as Uruguay's 2.4 million eligible voters 
lined up to cast their ballots at some 6,000 polling sites nationwide. The 
winner will succeed President Jorge Batllem who was barred from seeking a 
second consecutive, five-year term.
"I want to thank all Uruguayans for this magnificent civic party," Vazquez 
said in a victory speech. "We're not going to let you down."
Long caravans of his supporters drove through downtown Montevideo, honking 
horns and flashing the "V" for victory sign in anticipation.
This was the first electoral defeat for two of the country's more 
traditional parties. The Colorado and the more centrist National parties 
alternated in the presidency for more than 170 years. That traditional party 
lock on power has been interrupted occasionally by military rule, most 
recently during the country's 1973-84 dictatorship.
Many Uruguayans who supported Vazquez blamed the country's 2002 economic 
crisis on leaders from the two parties.
Long one of Latin America's most stable economies, Uruguay is climbing out 
of an economic depression in which the economy shrank by 11 percent two 
years ago.
The upheaval left one out every three Uruguayans below the poverty line - a 
blow to a country where generous social benefits had for years assured one 
of the region's highest living standards. Thousands of young Uruguayans 
emigrated to Europe and the United States.
"I want a change and he's the best alternative," said Fabian Perez, a 
31-year-old employee at a bus company who favored Vazquez. "We need someone 
in office that can halt the surge in poverty and turn things around so young 
people here have a future. I'm fed up with the status quo."
Vazquez has stressed he will strengthen the country's ties with regional 
neighbors Argentina and Brazil.
"The government keeps reeling off statistics they say indicate the economy 
is gaining strength, but all I see are more homeless people, more beggars in 
the street, people looking for jobs," said Lucia Salazar, a 42-year-old 
secretary, who also voted for Vazquez. "We can't continue like this."

 Tabare Vazquez presidente
Se e' "socialista" come Lula applaudo anchio.
Palmiro Pangloss
-- 
Happy ever after in the marketplace...
(Lennon & McCartney)

 small South American country with a regionwide political shift leftward.
Non conosco il tipo (immagino che sull'Unità troverò
qualcosa...da dover poi rielaborare ;-), ma credo
che in Sud America serva davvero una riforma sociale
diffusa che può essere attuata solo da governi di sinistra (nel
vero senso della parola e non "policalmente corretti").
Certo, non mi auguro che diventino delle Cuba e che
dopo un paio di legislature vi sia un certa alternanza ma
è vero che al momento ciò che occorre sono grossi sacrifici
(soprattutto dal ceto medio a salire) e la sinistra è più brava a
farli accettare (anche perchè controlla molti "pericoli")
Ciao!