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At 84, the former president and former leader of the Tupamaros guerrilla Jose Mujica has been recalled as reinforcements to lead the campaign of the Frente Amplio, in bad shape for the second round of the presidential election of November 24.
From our correspondent,
His arrival in cheers aboard an old 1960s pickup is worthy of a rock star. " We came to see Pepe Mujica, he is one of a kind ! Natalia Cordero, one of the hundreds of people who came to see him in the small town of Nueva Helvecia in the west of the country, is ecstatic. Wherever he goes, Jose "Pepe" Mujica, 84, still moves the crowds.
The former president (2010-2015) is back in campaign, at the bedside of a left very badly in point. Daniel Martínez, candidate of the Frente Amplio to the presidency and former mayor of Montevideo, is credited with 44% of voting intentions by the latest surveys. This is seven points less than the candidate of the right and Partido Nacional, Luis Lacalle Pou.
An indispensable popularity for the left
The good-natured look, the mischievous eye and the curling mustache, "Pepe" Mujica takes the time to exchange a few words with each one. " He is a very respected person, because he has this lifestyle that makes many people identify with him. I think it helps to bring more voters together, "says Susana Vacuña, all smiles after taking a selfie with the self-described" humble peasant ". He even inherited the nickname " the poorest president in the world " when he ran the country between 2010 and 2015, because he donated 87% of his salary to charity.
José Mujica had so far remained behind the presidential campaign. He was, however, the most elected senator of the country in the legislative elections, which took place at the same time as the first round of the presidential election on 27 October. " To assert himself as a candidate, Daniel Martínez wanted to stand out from the historical figures of the party, that are José Mujica and the current president, Tabaré Vázquez. The result of the first round forced him to back pedal, and to rely on them, because they embody continuity after 15 years of globally positive government , "says Antonio Cardarello, professor of political science at the University of the Republic, in Montevideo.
On the night of the first round, however , Daniel Martínez came in first with 39% of the vote, ten points more than his Partio Nacional rival, Luis Lacalle Pou. But the latter managed to rally behind his candidacy all the opposition parties, including the Partido Colorado (center right) and the new right-wing party Cabildo Abierto in an unprecedented coalition called "multicolored".
Charismatic figure
Daniel Martínez then decided to adjust his electoral strategy and propel "Pepe" Mujica on the front line of his "Vote by Vote" campaign, a campaign to convince voters not to follow the instructions of other parties. " The left unite for the ideas, the rights by interest ", philosophizes the former president in Nueva Helvecia. " Pepe is an impressive phenomenon ... His life is incredibly rich, he paid the price of prison and torture for his struggle in the 1960s, " says Gaston Rolán, activist of the Frente Amplio for 30 years.
Former head of the Tupamaros guerrilla, José Mujica spent 13 years in the jails of military dictatorship (1973-1985). He is a charismatic figure of Uruguayan politics, transcending political divisions. " From 2005, Mujica captured a whole section of the electorate, with little politicization and low levels of income and education, who are now turning to Cabildo Abierto and his candidate Guido Manini Ríos. [Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces who garnered 11% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election]. They are sensitive to strong personalities, to outspoken speeches with paternalistic emphasis, and it is they that Mujica can bring back to the left, "deciphered Antonio Cardarello.
Last stand
This unprecedented breakthrough of the extreme right and, more generally, the probable return of the right to power is explained by a slowing economy and growing insecurity (the number of homicides increased by 45% last year), that the left has failed to fight. Added to this is the wear of power, after the three five-year terms of Frente Amplio.
Before leaving Nueva Helvecia, José Mujica spoke. It recalls the successes of the left, the 15 years of GDP growth and the average wage, and the reduction of the poverty rate, from 40% to 8%. He also mentions the emblematic societal reforms, for many voted under his mandate: decriminalization of abortion, homosexual marriage, legalization of cannabis. " We will continue to fight to keep the social achievements of recent years, and to be able to lead others, because there are still many. But if we were to lose classmates, then we will have to redouble our efforts ! ", The former guerrilla fired in front of the galvanized crowd, concluding a campaign that looked like a show of honor.