President of Uruguayan leftist party leaves office and calls for unity

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The president of the leftist coalition party that governed in Uruguay between 2005 and 2020 Frente Amplio (FA), Javier Miranda, announced Saturday his departure from the position in front of this political grouping that he led since 2016 and called for unity and strengthening of the sector.

“We have completed a cycle and a stage in the political construction of FA. Today I culminate after five years the exercise of the presidency of this formidable political force,” he said during his farewell speech.

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He highlighted the feat in the collection of signatures, some 800,000 signatures against the Law to try to repeal 135 of the 476 articles of the Law of Urgent Consideration (LUC), approved on July 9, 2020, which had been proposed by President, Luis Lacalle Pou.

In his opinion, this fact demonstrated the strength of the “party militancy” that toured “every corner” of the country, giving an example of “democratic rebelliousness”.

“There remains a tempered political force that together with the social movement challenges, once again, the power of the neoliberal, conservative, and reactionary restoration. A standing and strengthened political force,” he affirmed.

Likewise, he reviewed the different achievements of the political party during the last and insisted on unity and strengthening of the party.

“We must deeply follow this path, which is unequivocally a dimension of social justice,” he said.

Likewise, he thanked all the people who accompanied him during these years at the head of this “endearing and wonderful” political force.

Miranda will be replaced by Ricardo Ehrlich, who will remain as coordinator until the elections are held in December.

One of the politicians who could replace Miranda in December is the former mayor and senator Marcos Carámbula. However, so far, his candidacy has not been made official. In interviews with local media, he has also highlighted representatives of national politics such as the former president of the Central Bank of Uruguay, Mario Bergara, among others.