Tabare Vazquez Win Ensures Pot Safety

Former President Tabare Vazquez of Uruguay on Sunday, won the presidential election placing him back in power to ensure pot safety of the first state-ran marijuana marketplace. He also led the push towards legalizing gay marriage during his last term.

The world tuned in as Vazquez rival, Lacalle Pou promised to reverse plans to place the  production and sale of pot in government charge. Lacalle Pou called Vazquez late Sunday to concede the election and wished him success. Poll results showed Lacalle Pou losing by a 10-percentage point margin. The win for Vazquez is viewed by many as the saving grace of the nation’s pot plan.

Vazquez, now 74-years-old, called on opposing parties to align with him in an agreement to attack issues such as education, health, and public security. The Broad Front coalition member shook Uruguayan politics during his first term bringing to an end a two-party government in place for 170 years. During his campaign, he assured changes would rattle the foundation of the country but he ruled moderately cautious avoiding polarization that struck other countries like Venezuela.

His successor, President Mujica, is also a member of the Broad Front coalition. The current establishment has been governing for the last decade and passed laws legalizing pot, gay marriage, and abortion. While many favored Vazquez and his ideas, other residents leaned more to Lacalle Pou.

Lacalle Pou’s proposals on public safety appealed to many including Monica Centurion, an employee at a state -run hospital. She voted for the opponent because of her concerns about crime. Former President Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera, who governed the nation from 1990 to 1995, is Lacalle Pou’s father.

On the campaign trail, Lacalle Pou struck out at the pot plan, allowing personal cultivation of pot while shutting down the government-run market. According to polls, despite the widespread popularity of pot legalization, most residents oppose the laws and want them reversed.

Vazquez was raised in a working class neighborhood as oil worker’s son. From there he obtained his medical degree and became an oncologist. During his previous presidency, he continued to tend to patients setting them regularly.

Vazquez stated in an interview though that he stop practicing completely if re-elected. In October, he was close but failed to get an undisputed victory garnering only 48 percent of the vote against Lacalle Pou’s 31 percent. Current president, Mujica, was ineligible by law from seeking a consecutive term.

While residents may be opposed to the current pot laws, the streets of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, filled with supporters cheering Tabare Vazquez’ win ensuring the safety of the state’s pot business. He had promised to increase social spending while maintaining the current shape of the economy. BBC’s Ignacio de los Reyes reported that Vazquez was looking to do an overhaul of the education system and fight crime, weaknesses that were exploited in Mujica’s government.

Mujica still remains very popular and a current favorite of the people. When he was elected, instead of moving into the presidential palace, he remained at his farm on the outskirts of the capital. There he grew his own vegetables. His humble leadership style won Uruguay the international spotlight. Mujica’s popularity coupled with an already strong economy opened the doors for Tabare Vazquez to win the election and ensure the state’s pot plan would be safe.

By Stevenson Benoit

Sources:
USA Today
BBC News
Miami Herald

Photo by Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Uruguay – Flickr License