Uruguay’s Left Loosens its Hold as Voters Grow Tired of Rising Crime

In the first round of Uruguay’s presidential election on Oct. 27, voters changed the political makeup of parliament and nearly passed a referendum that would have allowed the government to get tougher on crime, as homicides and thefts continue to rise. The left-leaning Frente Amplio has held a majority for the last 15 years, but those days are over. The party’s candidate, Daniel Martínez faces a close race in the runoff with Luis Lacalle Pou, a candidate in the conservative Partido Nacional. RadioLAND producer Alanna Elder reports on the results of the first round and what we can expect in the second round on Nov. 24.

Guests: Carlos Demasi, Mariana Rodríguez, Nicolás Saldías, Diego Sanjurjo and Ignacio Villar. Reporter: Alanna Elder. Hosts: Colleen Connolly and Cameron Oakes. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.

Music: Focus by A A Alto (https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/A_A_Aalto), Shameless Life Wisdom Sendoff by pATCHES (YouTube Audio Library), Last Train to Mars by Dan Lebowitz (YouTube Audio Library)and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

Other sounds:

1. Ciclo de ADM. Elecciones 2019. Guido Manini Ríos, Asuntos Públicos, Oct. 15, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlfEu5bko74

2. Larrañaga y sus propuestas en seguridad: militarizar a la Policía y cadena perpetua revisable, Desayunos Informales, Feb. 21, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxKJXQ5sXFs

3. UPITN 10 11 77 THE PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY ARRIVES IN BUENOS AIRES, AP News, Nov. 10, 1977. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isabzUkYSGw

4. Mega-Rally Marks Chile Protests Third Week, VOA News, Nov. 5, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al0MVX4z7dg&has_verified=1

5. Una multitudinaria marcha contra la reforma “Vivir sin Miedo” recorrió 18 de Julio, VTV Noticias, Oct. 22, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zeJ0e1kFCU

6. Chile: students ambush metro stations in protest over fare hikes, The Guardian, Oct. 18, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e1qbELHiEQ

7. Voto Uruguay: conoce a Luis Lacalle Pou, candidato presidencial, y lo que opina de Macri y Maduro, CNN Espanol, Oct. 3, 2019.