Editing Uruguay (section)

=== 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>