Editing Uruguay (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of Uruguay}}
[[File:Los últimos Charrúas. Senaca, Vaimaca-Piru, Guyunusa y Tacuabe.JPG|thumb|left|Monument to the last four [[Charrúa]], the indigenous people of Uruguay]]

=== Prehistory ===
Uruguay was first inhabited around 13,000 years ago by [[hunter gatherer]]s.<ref name="archivo.presidencia.gub.uy"/> It is estimated that at the time of the first contact with Europeans in the 16th century, there were about 9,000 [[Charrúa]] and 6,000 [[Chaná people|Chaná]] and some [[Guaraní people|Guaraní]] island settlements.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/uruguay00jerm |url-access=registration |quote=uruguay by leslie jermyn. |title=Uruguay |first=Leslie |last=Jermyn |date=1 October 1998 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |isbn=9780761408734 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

There is an extensive archeological collection of man-made [[tumulus|tumuli]] known as "''[[Cerritos de Indios]]''" in the eastern part of the country, some of them dating back to 5,000 years ago. Very little is known about the people who built them as they left no written record, but evidence has been found in place of indigenous agriculture and of extinct [[Native American dogs|indigenous dogs]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=López Mazz |first=José M. |date=2001 |title=Las estructuras tumulares (cerritos) del litoral atlantico uruguayo |trans-title=The mound structures (cerritos) of the Uruguayan Atlantic coast |url=https://www.mna.gub.uy/innovaportal/file/20809/1/lopez_mazz_j._m._2001._las_estructuras_tumulares_cerritos_del_litoral_atlantico_uruguayo..pdf |url-status=live |journal=Latin American Antiquity |language=Spanish |volume=12 |pages=231–255 |doi=10.2307/971631 |issn=1045-6635 |jstor=971631 |s2cid=163375789 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517194512/https://www.mna.gub.uy/innovaportal/file/20809/1/lopez_mazz_j._m._2001._las_estructuras_tumulares_cerritos_del_litoral_atlantico_uruguayo..pdf |archive-date=17 May 2021 |access-date=17 May 2021 |number=3}}</ref>

=== Colonial rule ===
[[File:PortugueseMuseum-Colonia4 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] established [[Colonia del Sacramento|Colonia do Sacramento]] in 1680.]]
The [[Portuguese discoveries|Portuguese were]] the first Europeans to enter the region of present-day Uruguay in 1512.<ref name=Spate>{{cite book|author=Oskar Hermann Khristian Spate|title=The Spanish Lake|publisher=Canberra: ANU E Press, 2004|page=37|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JH9SIogNd3sC&q=San+Matias|isbn=9781920942168|date=1 November 2004|access-date=30 September 2020|archive-date=11 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211030451/https://books.google.com/books?id=JH9SIogNd3sC&q=San+Matias|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last = Bethell |first = Leslie |title = The Cambridge History of Latin America, Volume 1, Colonial Latin America |publisher = Cambridge University Press |year = 1984 |location = Cambridge |page = 257 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_w0kAPYQ5xMC&q=1511 |isbn = 9780521232234 |access-date = 7 October 2020 |archive-date = 11 December 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201211002802/https://books.google.com/books?id=_w0kAPYQ5xMC&q=1511 |url-status = live }}</ref> The [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] arrived in present-day Uruguay in 1515 but were the first to set foot in the area, claiming it for the crown.<ref name="dept-state">{{cite web|author=Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs|title=Background Note: Uruguay|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2091.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122194621/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2091.htm|archive-date=22 January 2017|access-date=23 February 2011|publisher=US Department of State}}</ref> The indigenous peoples' fierce resistance to [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|conquest]], combined with the absence of valuable resources, limited European settlement in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries.<ref name="dept-state"/> Uruguay then became a zone of contention between the Spanish and Portuguese empires. In 1603, the Spanish began introducing cattle, which became a source of regional wealth. The first permanent Spanish settlement was founded in 1624 at [[Villa Soriano|Soriano]] on the [[Río Negro (Uruguay)|Río Negro]]. In 1669–71, the Portuguese built a fort at [[Colonia del Sacramento]] (Colônia do Sacramento).

[[Montevideo]], the current capital of Uruguay, was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Its natural harbor soon developed into a commercial area competing with [[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata|Río de la Plata]]'s capital, [[Buenos Aires]].<ref name="dept-state"/> Uruguay's early 19th-century history was shaped by ongoing fights for dominance in the [[La Plata Basin|Platine region]]<ref name="dept-state"/> between British, Spanish, Portuguese, and other colonial forces. In 1806 and 1807, the [[British invasions of the Río de la Plata|British army attempted to seize Buenos Aires and Montevideo]] as part of the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. Montevideo was occupied by British forces from February to September 1807.

=== Independence struggle ===
{{Further|Banda Oriental|Liga Federal|Cisplatina}}
[[File:Juan Manuel Blanes - El Juramento de los Treinta y Tres Orientales.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The oath of the [[Thirty-Three Orientals]] in 1825 prior to the beginning of the [[Cisplatine War]], in which Uruguay gained independence from the [[Empire of Brazil]]]]
In 1811, [[José Gervasio Artigas]], who became Uruguay's national hero, launched a successful revolt against the [[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata|Spanish authorities]], defeating them on 18 May at the [[Battle of Las Piedras (1811)|Battle of Las Piedras]].<ref name="dept-state"/> In 1813, the new government in Buenos Aires convened a constituent assembly where Artigas emerged as a champion of federalism, demanding political and economic autonomy for each area and the [[Banda Oriental]] in particular.<ref name="loc-3" /> The assembly refused to seat the delegates from the Banda Oriental; however, Buenos Aires pursued a system based on unitary centralism.<ref name="loc-3">{{csref |country=uruguay|section=The Struggle for Independence 1811–30|last1=Jacob |first1=Raúl |last2=Weinstein |first2=Martin |pd=no}} pp. [https://countrystudies.us/uruguay/7.htm 8]–[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822015230782&seq=48 11]</ref>

As a result, Artigas broke with Buenos Aires and besieged Montevideo, taking the city in early 1815.<ref name="loc-3"/> Once the troops from Buenos Aires had withdrawn, the Banda Oriental appointed its first autonomous government.<ref name="loc-3"/> Artigas organized the [[Liga Federal|Federal League]] under his protection, consisting of six provinces, five of which later became part of Argentina.<ref name="loc-3"/>

In 1816, 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded the Banda Oriental from Brazil; they took Montevideo in January 1817.<ref name="loc-3"/> After nearly four more years of struggle, the [[United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves|Portuguese Kingdom of Brazil]] annexed the ''Banda Oriental'' as a province under the name of "[[Cisplatina]]".<ref name="loc-3"/> The [[Empire of Brazil|Brazilian Empire]] became independent of Portugal in 1822. In response to the annexation, the [[Thirty-Three Orientals]], led by [[Juan Antonio Lavalleja]], declared independence on 25 August 1825, supported by the [[United Provinces of the Río de la Plata]] (present-day Argentina).<ref name="dept-state"/> This led to the 500-day-long [[Cisplatine War]]. Neither side gained the upper hand, and in 1828, the [[Treaty of Montevideo (1828)|Treaty of Montevideo]], fostered by the United Kingdom through the diplomatic efforts of [[John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby|Viscount John Ponsonby]], gave birth to Uruguay as an independent state. 25 August is celebrated as Independence Day, a [[Public holidays in Uruguay|national holiday]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/google-homenajea-uruguay-el-dia-la-independencia-n231109 |title=Google homenajea a Uruguay |date=25 August 2012 |work=[[El Observador (Uruguay)|El Observador]] |access-date=23 August 2018 |language=es-uy |archive-date=23 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823210735/https://www.elobservador.com.uy/google-homenajea-uruguay-el-dia-la-independencia-n231109 |url-status=live }}</ref> The nation's [[Constitution of Uruguay|first constitution]] was adopted on 18 July 1830.<ref name="dept-state"/>

=== 19th century ===
{{see also|Uruguayan Civil War|Uruguayan War}}

At the time of independence, Uruguay had an estimated population of just under 75,000.<ref name="loc-5"/> The political scene in Uruguay became split between two parties: the conservative ''[[National Party (Uruguay)|Blancos]]'' (Whites), headed by the second President [[Manuel Oribe]], representing the agricultural interests of the countryside, and the liberal ''[[Colorado Party (Uruguay)|Colorados]]'' (Reds), led by the first President [[Fructuoso Rivera]], representing the business interests of Montevideo. The Uruguayan parties received support from warring political factions in neighboring [[Argentina]], which became involved in Uruguayan affairs.

The ''Colorados'' favored the exiled Argentine liberal [[Unitarian Party|Unitarios]], many of whom had taken refuge in Montevideo, while the Blanco president Manuel Oribe was a close friend of the Argentine ruler [[Manuel de Rosas]]. On 15 June 1838, an army led by the Colorado leader Rivera overthrew President Oribe, who fled to Argentina.<ref name="loc-5"/> Rivera declared war on Rosas in 1839. The conflict would last 13 years and become known as the [[Uruguayan Civil War|Guerra Grande]] (the Great War).<ref name="loc-5">{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/5.htm |title=BEGINNINGS OF INDEPENDENT LIFE, 1830–52&nbsp;– Uruguay |publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies |access-date=2011-02-23 |archive-date=2011-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025513/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/5.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1843, an Argentine army overran Uruguay on Oribe's behalf but failed to take the capital. The [[Uruguayan Civil War#The Great Siege|siege of Montevideo]], began in February 1843 and lasted nine years.<ref name="loc-6" /> The besieged Uruguayans called on resident foreigners for help, which led to a French and an Italian legion being formed, the latter led by the exiled [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]].<ref name="loc-6">{{csref |country=uruguay |section=The Great War, 1843–52 |last1=Jacob |first1=Raúl |last2=Weinstein |first2=Martin |pd=no}} pp. [http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/6.htm 13–14] {{webarchive |date=30 April 2011 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025441/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/6.htm}}</ref>

[[File:Caseros.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The victory of the ''[[Ejército Grande]]'' at the [[Battle of Caseros]] resulted in the overthrow of [[Juan Manuel de Rosas]].]]

In 1845, Britain and France intervened against Rosas to restore commerce to normal levels in the region. Their efforts proved ineffective, and by 1849, tired of the war, both withdrew after signing a treaty favorable to Rosas.<ref name="loc-6"/> It appeared that Montevideo would finally fall when an uprising against Rosas, led by [[Justo José de Urquiza]], governor of Argentina's [[Entre Ríos Province]], began. The Brazilian intervention in May 1851 on behalf of the ''Colorados'', combined with the uprising, changed the situation, and Oribe was defeated. The siege of Montevideo was lifted, and the ''Guerra Grande'' finally came to an end.<ref name="loc-6"/> Montevideo rewarded Brazil's support by signing treaties that confirmed Brazil's right to intervene in Uruguay's internal affairs.<ref name="loc-6"/>

In accordance with the 1851 treaties, Brazil intervened militarily in Uruguay as often as it deemed necessary.<ref name="loc-7"/> In 1865, the [[Treaty of the Triple Alliance|Triple Alliance]] was formed by the [[emperor of Brazil]], the [[president of Argentina]], and the Colorado general [[Venancio Flores]], the Uruguayan head of government whom they both had helped to gain power. The Triple Alliance declared war on the Paraguayan leader [[Francisco Solano López]].<ref name="loc-7"/> The resulting [[Paraguayan War]] ended with the invasion of Paraguay and its defeat by the armies of the three countries. Montevideo was used as a supply station by the Brazilian navy, and it experienced a period of prosperity and relative calm during the war.<ref name="loc-7">{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/7.htm |title=THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL, 1852–75 – Uruguay |publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies |access-date=23 February 2011 |archive-date=30 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025431/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/7.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Tuyuti1.jpg|thumb|Uruguayan troops in trenches at the [[Battle of Tuyutí]] in 1866, during the [[Paraguayan War|War of the Triple Alliance]]]]

The first railway line was assembled in Uruguay in 1867, and a branch consisting of a horse-drawn train was opened. The present-day [[State Railways Administration of Uruguay]] maintains 2,900&nbsp;km of extendable railway network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uruguay-Railway |url=https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/uruguay-railway |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=www.trade.gov |date=27 February 2020 |language=en |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223032347/https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/uruguay-railway |url-status=live }}</ref>

The constitutional government of General [[Lorenzo Batlle y Grau]] (1868–72) suppressed the [[Revolution of the Lances]] by the [[National Party (Uruguay)|Blancos]].<ref name="loc-9"/> After two years of struggle, a peace agreement was signed in 1872 that gave the Blancos a share in the emoluments and functions of government through control of four of the [[departments of Uruguay]].<ref name="loc-9">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/9.htm|title=Caudillos and Political Stability – Uruguay|publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies|access-date=23 February 2011|archive-date=30 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025503/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/9.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> This establishment of the policy of co-participation represented the search for a new formula of compromise based on the coexistence of the party in power and the opposition party.<ref name="loc-9" /> Despite this agreement, the Colorado rule was threatened by the failed [[Tricolor Revolution]] in 1875 and the Revolution of the [[Quebracho, Uruguay|Quebracho]] in 1886.

The Colorado effort to reduce Blancos to only three departments caused a Blanco uprising of 1897, which ended with creating 16 departments, of which the Blancos now had control over six. Blancos were given ⅓ seats in Congress.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Paul H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LAvw-YXm4TsC&q=co-participation+uruguay&pg=PA85 |title=Authoritarian Regimes in Latin America: Dictators, Despots, and Tyrants |date=1 January 2006 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780742537392 |via=Google Books}}</ref> This division of power lasted until President [[Jose Batlle y Ordonez]] instituted his political reforms, which caused the last uprising by Blancos in 1904 that ended with the [[Battle of Masoller]] and the death of Blanco leader [[Aparicio Saravia]].

Between 1875 and 1890, the military became the center of power.<ref name="loc-10" /> During this authoritarian period, the government took steps toward the organization of the country as a modern state, encouraging its economic and social transformation. Pressure groups (consisting mainly of businessmen, ''[[hacendado]]s'', and industrialists) were organized and had a strong influence on the government.<ref name="loc-10" /> A transition period (1886–90) followed, during which politicians began recovering lost ground, and some civilian participation in government occurred.<ref name="loc-10">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/10.htm|title=MODERN URUGUAY, 1875–1903 – Uruguay|publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies|access-date=23 February 2011|archive-date=30 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025448/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/10.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> After the [[Uruguayan Civil War|Guerra Grande]], there was a sharp rise in the number of immigrants, primarily from Italy and Spain. By 1879, the total population of the country was over 438,500.<ref name="loc-8" /> The economy reflected a steep upswing (if demonstrated graphically, above all other related economic determinants) in livestock raising and exports.<ref name="loc-8" /> Montevideo became a major financial center of the region and an [[entrepôt]] for goods from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.<ref name="loc-8">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/8.htm|title=Evolution of the Economy and Society – Uruguay|publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies|access-date=23 February 2011|archive-date=30 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025434/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/8.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 20th century ===
[[File:Palaciosalvouruguay.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Palacio Salvo]], built in [[Montevideo]] from 1925 to 1928, was once the [[List of tallest buildings in Latin America|tallest building in Latin America]].]]
The Colorado leader [[José Batlle y Ordóñez]] was elected president in 1903.<ref name="loc-12">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/12.htm|title=THE NEW COUNTRY, 1903–33 – Uruguay|publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies|access-date=23 February 2011|archive-date=30 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025506/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/12.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, the Blancos led a rural revolt, and eight bloody months of fighting ensued before their leader, [[Aparicio Saravia]], was killed in battle. Government forces emerged victorious, leading to the end of the co-participation politics that had begun in 1872.<ref name="loc-12"/> [[José Batlle y Ordóñez|Batlle]] had two terms (1903–07 and 1911–15) during which he instituted major reforms, such as a welfare program, government participation in the economy, and a plural executive.<ref name="dept-state"/>

[[Gabriel Terra]] became president in March 1931. His inauguration coincided with the effects of the [[Great Depression]],<ref name="loc-14"/> and the social climate became tense as a result of the lack of jobs. There were confrontations in which police and leftists died.<ref name="loc-14"/> In 1933, Terra organized a coup d'état, dissolving the General Assembly and governing by decree.<ref name="loc-14"/> A new constitution was promulgated in 1934, transferring powers to the president.<ref name="loc-14"/> In general, the Terra government weakened or neutralized economic nationalism and social reform.<ref name="loc-14">{{csref|country=uruguay|section=The Conservative Adjustment, 1931–43|last1=Jacob |first1=Raúl |last2=Weinstein |first2=Martin |pd=no}} pp. [http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/14.htm 27–33] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429204151/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/14.htm|date=29 April 2011}}</ref>

In 1938, general elections were held, and Terra's brother-in-law, General [[Alfredo Baldomir]], was elected president. Under pressure from organized labor and the National Party, Baldomir advocated free elections, freedom of the press, and a new constitution.<ref name="loc-15"/> Although Baldomir declared Uruguay neutral in 1939, British warships and the German ship {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Graf Spee||2}} fought [[Battle of the River Plate|a battle]] not far off Uruguay's coast.<ref name="loc-15"/> The ''Admiral Graf Spee'' took refuge in [[Montevideo]], claiming sanctuary in a neutral port, but was later ordered out.<ref name="loc-15">{{csref|country=uruguay|section=Baldomir and the End of Dictatorship|last1=Jacob |first1=Raúl |last2=Weinstein |first2=Martin |pd=no}} pp. [http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/15.htm 31–33] {{webarchive|date=30 April 2011 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025438/http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/15.htm}}</ref>

[[File:Admiral Graf Spee Flames.jpg|thumb|left|The sinking of the German cruiser [[German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee|''Admiral Graf Spee'']] is the most known event occurring in [[Uruguay during World War II]].]]

In 1945, Uruguay formally signed the [[Declaration by United Nations|Declaration by the United Nations]] and entered [[World War II]], leading the country to declare war on [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] and [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]. Following the end of the war, it became a founding member of the [[United Nations]].

An armed group of [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist–Leninist]] urban guerrillas, known as the [[Tupamaros]], emerged in the 1960s, engaging in activities such as bank robbery, kidnapping, and assassination, in addition to attempting an overthrow of the government.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 August 1970 |title=Kidnapped U.S. Official Found Slain in Uruguay |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/08/11/archives/kidnapped-us-official-found-slain-in-uruguay-body-of-abducted-us.html |access-date=19 October 2024 |work=The New York Times |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schrader |first=Stuart |date=10 August 2020 |title=From Police Reform to Police Repression: 50 Years after an Assassination |url=https://nacla.org/uruguay-police-killing-anniversary |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=NACLA |language=en}}</ref>

=== Civic-military dictatorship ===
[[File:Museo de la Memoria - 2022 03.jpg|thumb|Garments worn by prisoners during the dictatorship, exhibited at the [[Museo de la Memoria (Uruguay)|Museum of Memory]]]]

President [[Jorge Pacheco Areco|Jorge Pacheco]] declared a state of emergency in 1968, followed by a further suspension of civil liberties in 1972. In 1973, amid increasing economic and political turmoil, the armed forces, asked by President [[Juan María Bordaberry]], disbanded Parliament and established a [[Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay|civilian-military regime]].<ref name="dept-state"/> The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-backed campaign of political repression and state terror involving intelligence operations and assassination of opponents was called [[Operation Condor]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dinges |first1=John |title=Operation Condor |url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/chile/operation-condor.htm |website=latinamericanstudies.org |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=6 July 2018 |archive-date=22 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722031734/http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/chile/operation-condor.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Marcetic |first1=Branco |title=The CIA's Secret Global War Against the Left |url=https://jacobin.com/2020/11/operation-condor-cia-latin-america-repression-torture |access-date=22 June 2023 |publisher=Jacobin |date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622185604/https://jacobin.com/2020/11/operation-condor-cia-latin-america-repression-torture |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to one source, around 180 Uruguayans are known to have been killed and disappeared, with thousands more illegally detained and tortured during the 12-year civil-military rule from 1973 to 1985.<ref>{{cite news|title=New find in Uruguay 'missing' dig|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4494286.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=4 February 2011|date=3 December 2005|archive-date=11 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511151500/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4494286.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Most were killed in Argentina and other neighboring countries, with 36 of them having been killed in Uruguay.<ref>{{cite news|title=Uruguay dig finds 'disappeared'.|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4485288.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=4 February 2011|date=30 November 2005|archive-date=4 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504081010/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4485288.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Edy Kaufman (cited by David Altman<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288427223|title=Direct Democracy Worldwide|last=Altman|first=David|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2010|isbn=978-1107427099}}</ref>), Uruguay at the time had the highest per capita number of political prisoners in the world. "Kaufman, who spoke at the U.S. Congressional Hearings of 1976 on behalf of [[Amnesty International]], estimated that one in every five Uruguayans went into exile, one in fifty were detained, and one in five hundred went to prison (most of them tortured)." Social spending was reduced, and many state-owned companies were privatized. However, the economy did not improve and deteriorated after 1980; the [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) fell by 20%, and unemployment rose to 17%. The state intervened by trying to bail out failing companies and banks.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jacob |first1=Raúl |last2=Weinstein |first2=Martin |editor1=Rex A. Hudson |editor2=Sandra W. Meditz |title=Uruguay: A country study |pages=44–46 |date=1992 |publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822015230782&seq=84 |isbn=978-0-8444-0737-1 |edition=2nd |chapter=The military Government 1973–80: The Military's Economic Record}}</ref>{{rp|45}}

=== Return to democracy (1984–present) ===
[[File:Batlle1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Former Uruguayan president [[Jorge Batlle]] with former U.S. president [[George H. W. Bush]] in 2003]]

A new constitution, drafted by the military, was rejected in a November 1980 referendum.<ref name="dept-state"/> Following the referendum, the armed forces announced a plan for the return to civilian rule, and national elections were held in 1984.<ref name="dept-state"/> [[Colorado Party (Uruguay)|Colorado Party]] leader [[Julio María Sanguinetti]] won the presidency and served from 1985 to 1990. The first Sanguinetti administration implemented economic reforms and consolidated democracy following the country's years under military rule.<ref name="dept-state"/> The National Party's [[Luis Alberto Lacalle]] won the 1989 presidential election, and a referendum endorsed amnesty for human rights abusers. Sanguinetti was then reelected in 1994.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1229362.stm|title=Uruguay timeline|work=BBC News|access-date=27 April 2011|date=12 April 2011|archive-date=27 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527054941/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1229362.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Both presidents continued the economic structural reforms initiated after the reinstatement of democracy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gillespie |first=Charles G. |date=1987 |title=From Authoritarian Crises to Democratic Transitions |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0023879100037092 |journal=Latin American Research Review |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=165–184 |doi=10.1017/s0023879100037092 |issn=0023-8791}}</ref>

The 1999 national elections were held under a new electoral system established by a 1996 constitutional amendment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uruguay (04/02) |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/uruguay/20690.htm |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=U.S. Department of State |at=History}}</ref> Colorado Party candidate [[Jorge Batlle]], aided by the support of the National Party, defeated [[Broad Front (Uruguay)|Broad Front]] candidate [[Tabaré Vázquez]]. The formal coalition ended in November 2002, when the Blancos withdrew their ministers from the cabinet,<ref name="dept-state" /> although the Blancos continued to support the Colorados on most issues. Low commodity prices and economic difficulties in Uruguay's main export markets (starting in Brazil with the devaluation of the [[Brazilian real|real]], then in [[Argentine economic crisis (1999–2002)|Argentina in 2002]]) caused a severe recession; the economy contracted by 11%, unemployment climbed to 21%, and the percentage of Uruguayans in poverty rose to over 30%.<ref name="cong-r">{{cite web |last=Meyer |first=Peter J. |date=4 January 2010 |title=Uruguay: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40909.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208201408/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40909.pdf |archive-date=8 February 2010 |access-date=24 February 2011 |publisher=Congressional Research Service}}</ref>

In 2004, Uruguayans elected [[Tabaré Vázquez]] as president while giving the Broad Front a majority in both houses of Parliament.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/01/world/americas/uruguays-left-makes-history-by-winning-presidential-vote.html|title=Uruguay's Left Makes History by Winning Presidential Vote|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 2004|last1=Rohter|first1=Larry|access-date=2 April 2021|archive-date=23 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323130246/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/01/world/americas/uruguays-left-makes-history-by-winning-presidential-vote.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Vázquez stuck to economic orthodoxy. As commodity prices soared and the economy recovered from the recession, he tripled foreign investment, cut poverty and unemployment, cut [[Government debt|public debt]] from 79% of GDP to 60%, and kept inflation steady.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/14700728|title=The mystery behind Mujica's mask|date=22 October 2009|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=24 February 2011|archive-date=3 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203013432/http://www.economist.com/node/14700728|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, [[José Mujica]], a former left-wing guerrilla leader (Tupamaros) who spent almost 15 years in prison during the country's military rule, emerged as the new president as the Broad Front won the election for a second time.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Barrionuevo |first1=Alexei |date=29 November 2009 |title=Leftist Wins Uruguay Presidential Vote |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/world/americas/30uruguay.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414133233/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/world/americas/30uruguay.html |archive-date=14 April 2021 |access-date=2 April 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Piette |first=Candace |date=30 November 2009 |title=Uruguay elects José Mujica as president, polls show |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8385092.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208000831/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8385092.stm |archive-date=8 February 2011 |access-date=24 February 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> [[Abortion in Uruguay|Abortion]] was legalized in 2012,<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 October 2012 |title=Uruguay legalises abortion |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19986107 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513024044/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19986107 |archive-date=13 May 2017 |access-date=2 April 2021 |work=BBC News}}</ref> followed by [[Same-sex marriage in Uruguay|same-sex marriage]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 August 2013 |title=Same-sex marriage bill comes into force in Uruguay |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-23571197 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408183713/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-23571197 |archive-date=8 April 2021 |access-date=2 April 2021 |work=BBC News}}</ref> and [[Legality of cannabis in Uruguay|cannabis]] in the following year,<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 April 2019 |title=Uruguay: The world's marijuana pioneer |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47785648 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401152212/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47785648 |archive-date=1 April 2021 |access-date=2 April 2021 |work=BBC News}}</ref> making Uruguay the first country in the modern era to legalize cannabis.

[[File:Actividades conmemorativas de las Instrucciones Año XIII 22.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|2011 bicentennial celebrations at the [[Palacio Legislativo (Uruguay)|Palacio Legislativo]] in Montevideo]]

In 2014, [[Tabaré Vázquez]] was elected to a non-consecutive second presidential term, which began on 1 March 2015.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30268862|title = Tabare Vazquez wins Uruguay's run-off election|work = BBC News|date = December 2014|access-date = 2 April 2021|archive-date = 14 April 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210414080118/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30268862|url-status = live}}</ref> In 2020, after 15 years of left-wing rule, he was succeeded by [[Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou]], a member of the conservative [[National Party (Uruguay)|National Party]], as the 42nd President of Uruguay.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.france24.com/en/20200301-uruguay-s-new-center-right-president-sworn-in|title = Uruguay's new center-right president sworn in|date = March 2020|access-date = 2 April 2021|archive-date = 14 April 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210414044459/https://www.france24.com/en/20200301-uruguay-s-new-center-right-president-sworn-in|url-status = live}}</ref> On 1 March 2025, [[Yamandú Orsi|Yamandu Orsi]] took office as Uruguay's new president, meaning the left-wing coalition, the Broad Front, returned to power after a five-year interruption.<ref>{{cite news |title=Uruguay's new leftist president takes office |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/uruguay-s-new-leftist-president-takes-office/7994077.html |work=Voice of America |date=2 March 2025 |language=en}}</ref>