URUGUAY · POLITICS
Key Facts
- The country Uruguay is a South American democracy of about 3.4 million people, between Argentina and Brazil, known for calm politics.
- What happened A Cifra poll released on Thursday 15 October puts President Yamandú Orsi’s approval at 24% and his disapproval at 57%.
- The trend Approval was 26% in August 2026, so it dipped two points, while disapproval held at 57%.
- Power Index Uruguay ranks 7th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 45.9 points (October 2026 edition).
- The split Among Broad Front voters 49% approve and 28% disapprove, while 83% of opposition coalition voters disapprove.
- Why it matters Orsi’s government has just announced a US$5.7 billion private investment in data centres and solar power, so his standing matters to investors.
- Still open Whether approval has reached its low point: the next presidential election is not due until October 2029.
Uruguay president approval has slipped to 24%, according to a new poll by the Montevideo firm Cifra released on Thursday 15 October. Meanwhile 57% disapprove of how President Yamandú Orsi, a centre-left leader in office since March 2025, runs the country.
Uruguay is a small democracy of about 3.4 million people between Argentina and Brazil, and foreign investors watch its politics closely. The reading arrives in the same week that Orsi announced a US$5.7 billion private investment in data centres and solar power.
What the Cifra Poll Found
Cifra, a Montevideo polling firm, presented the survey on Thursday evening on the news programme Telemundo (Canal 12). Its director, Mariana Pomiés, said 24% approve of Orsi’s performance, 57% disapprove, 13% are neutral and 6% have no opinion.
The survey ran from 30 September to 12 October with 800 interviews. El País, a Montevideo daily, calls it representative of the whole country, and Montevideo Portal says it covered localities of 2,000 or more people.
Orsi’s Own Voters Are Split
Orsi belongs to the Frente Amplio, or Broad Front, a centre-left coalition that returned to government in March 2025. Among its voters, 49% approve of his work and 28% disapprove, according to El País.
Another 16% of those voters neither approve nor disapprove and 7% have no opinion. That means more than one in four Broad Front voters disapproves of his government.
The Opposition Camp Is Firmly Against
The opposition coalition is the centre-right alliance led by the National and Colorado parties, which governed under former president Luis Lacalle Pou until March 2025. Among its voters 83% disapprove of Orsi and only 4% approve, El País reports.
His personal popularity is also under water, with 41% feeling sympathy for him and 47% antipathy. Pomiés called the 57% disapproval a high figure, Montevideo Portal reported.
How Approval Has Moved Since 2025
Cifra’s August 2026 reading had approval at 26% and disapproval at 57%. The new numbers point to stability, and Pomiés said the largest drop came between February and June, Montevideo Portal reported.
The same outlet says Uruguay president approval climbed through 2025 and reached 43% in September last year before it began to fall. Measured against that peak, approval has lost 19 points, a fall of more than two-fifths.
What Investors Should Watch
Orsi has announced a US$5.7 billion private investment in data centres and solar power, which he called one of the largest in the country. A Rio Times report on the Uruguay data centre deal covers the terms.
Uruguay’s president serves a fixed five-year term, so the poll changes no policy by itself. Investors still read Uruguay president approval as a gauge of how much political room a government has for its budget and reforms.
What It Means for You
For US investors with Uruguay exposure, the poll signals political mood, not policy, since nothing in it changes a law or contract. For travellers and business visitors nothing changes, because the poll affects no visa, flight or safety rule.
Anyone tracking Uruguay can watch the next Cifra reading. It will show whether Uruguay president approval has levelled off after the drop since 2025.
What Is Not Known
It is not yet known what is driving Uruguay president approval lower or which issues weigh most on voters. It is also not known when Cifra will publish its next survey.
The margin of error for the sample of 800 has not been published. The published reports also do not say who commissioned the survey.
More: Uruguay news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Orsi’s approval rating?
A Cifra poll released on 15 October puts Uruguay president approval at 24%, with 57% disapproving. Another 13% neither approve nor disapprove.
Has it fallen since the last poll?
Only slightly: Uruguay president approval was 26% in Cifra’s August reading, so it is down two points. Disapproval stayed at 57%.
Who is Yamandú Orsi?
Orsi is Uruguay’s centre-left president and a member of the Broad Front, in office since March 2025. His term runs for five years.
How many people were polled?
Cifra conducted 800 interviews between 30 September and 12 October. El País describes the sample as representative of the whole country.
Does the poll threaten Orsi’s presidency?
No, because Uruguay’s president serves a fixed five-year term and the next election is not due until October 2029. The poll measures public mood, not his hold on office.
Sources: El País (Uruguay), 15 October 2026; la diaria, 15 October 2026; Montevideo Portal, 15 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error