Lacalle Pou takes first steps as President-elect of Uruguay

Luis Lacalle Pou, the former center-right senator who ended 15 years in power for the leftist Frente Amplio in Uruguay, took his first steps as president-elect this Friday, announcing the creation of a Ministry of Environment and audits in the State.

The leader of the National Party will carry out audits “in all public organizations” to better inform Uruguayans “how their State, their government and their numbers are” in a context of persistent fiscal deficit of almost 5% of GDP.

After meeting Friday with his rival in the ballot last Sunday, Daniel Martinez, Lacalle Pou met with the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, who is visiting the country.

On Monday, the transition will begin when the outgoing president, Tabaré Vázquez, receives the leader of the National Party at the presidential headquarters in the morning.

An event of celebrations scheduled for Friday led by Lacalle Pou had to be suspended due to a strong windstorm that rose in Montevideo and forecasts of a thunderstorm. It was postponed to Saturday morning.

The Electoral Court has not yet proclaimed the winning formula for the presidential elections, which by the parity of the vote led the body to await the usual secondary scrutiny to rule a winner. The number of votes reviewed on Thursday determined that Lacalle Pou’s meager advantage of some 30,000 votes is irreversible, which led his rival to grant him the victory.

Lacalle Pou will assume his five-year term on March 1.