Yearbook 2010
Uruguay. According to
COUNTRYAAH,
Uruguay has a population of 3.449 million (2018). Governments in both Uruguay and Argentina made
an effort during the year to resolve the multi-year conflict
over the environmental impact on the Río Uruguay border of a
newly built pulp mill on the Uruguayan side. In mid-April,
the International Court of Justice (ICC) in The Hague issued
a statement that was interpreted as a victory for both
sides. While it was established that Uruguay violated the
1975 agreement by not publishing its plans to build the
factory in advance, the country is not forced by the court's
ruling to relocate the factory as Argentina previously
demanded. Instead, the heads of state of both countries
agreed to set up a joint commission to monitor the
environmental impact on the river.
In the May 9 regional elections, just over two months
after the winner of the 2009 presidential election, José
Mujica swore to the presidential oath, the government
coalition Frente Amplio (FA) won in three of the country's
provinces but lost in three others. All in all, the FA was
considered to have weakened the elections as voter
participation declined. Admittedly, the party won in the
capital Montevideo, where nearly half of the country's
population lives, but at the same time the support for the
party there declined for the first time in 39 years.
1992 No to privatizations
In December 92, the left gained another victory at the
expense of the government. A commission set up by the
national organization and representatives of several
political parties utilized a provision of the constitution
to collect signatures for holding a referendum. The purpose
of the vote was to overturn an earlier resolution in
Parliament on the privatization of state-owned enterprises.
The necessary signatures were collected, the referendum was
carried out and, with 72% of the vote, Parliament's
privatization law was rejected. Still, the government was
trying to continue its efforts to privatize the national
carrier, the gas company and the sugar plantations in the
northern part of the country. The government's decision
triggered demonstrations of sugar cane workers for
Montevideo as well as a series of demonstrations in the
capital itself.
At the presidential, parliamentary and local elections on
November 27, 94, Colorados, with Julio María Sanguinetti at
the helm, won a narrow victory. Frente Amplio significantly
increased its voter support and gained 43% of the vote in
the capital. Nationwide, the election results revealed that
the population was divided into 3 almost equal groups:
Colorados got 31.2%, Blancos 30.03% and Encuentro
Progresista got 29.82%. Frente Amplio played the lead role
in the latter coalition.
In October 95, Cuba President Fidel Castro visited the
country, but Sanguinetti rejected an invitation from Castro
to visit Cuba in September 96. It was not opportune for the
United States.
In mid-96, it was revealed that former President
Lacalle's wife and several of his closest associates had
been involved in corruption during his presidential term. In
the same year, a new social insurance system was introduced
following the same principles that had already been
introduced in Argentina and Chile.
After difficult political negotiations, Parliament sent a
constitutional reform to a referendum. The main purpose of
the reform was to enable the parties to form post-election
alliances in order to influence the formation of the
government and the election of the president. Previously,
the largest party had automatically been given the
presidential post and formed government. The reform was
adopted with 50.6% of the vote.
The economic crisis continued in 96. Many industries had
to close, unemployment reached 11%, rising to 12% in the
middle of 97. Growth in 96 nevertheless reached 4.9% was
primarily due to growth in the banking sector. The country's
liberal financial system had made it a favorite center for
Latin American drug cartels in their laundering of drug
dollars.
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