Luis Alberto Lacalle
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| Dr. Luis Alberto Lacalle | |
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| In office March 1, 1990 – March 1, 1995 |
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| Vice President | Gonzalo Aguirre |
| Preceded by | Julio María Sanguinetti |
| Succeeded by | Julio María Sanguinetti |
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| Born | July 13, 1941 Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Political party | National Party (Uruguay) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Luis Alberto Lacalle de Herrera (b. July 13, 1941, Montevideo, Uruguay) is a Uruguayan lawyer and politician, who served as President of Uruguay from 1990 to 1995.
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[edit] Background
He trained as a lawyer in the national university (Universidad de la República), and worked as a journalist from 1961.
His late mother, María Hortensia de Herrera de Lacalle was the daughter of the Blanco political leader, Luis Alberto de Herrera, for whom Lacalle was named. Luis Alberto Lacalle joined the National Party at the age of 17. In 1971, he was elected as a Deputy for Montevideo. He occupied his position until the 1973 coup.
[edit] Vice-President of Senate
When democracy was restored in 1984 he was elected as a Senator, and Senate's Vice-President.
[edit] President of Uruguay
In 1989 he decided to run as presidential candidate for his faction, Herrerismo, and chose as his running-mate, Gonzalo Aguirre. In the subsequent elections in November 1989, he was elected President of Uruguay, and took office on March 1, 1990 for a five year-term.
During his rule, he encouraged a free market program and was a co-founder of the Mercosur, along with the presidents of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina, which took effect in the Treaty of Asunción on 1991.
In 1992, support for his economic reforms suffered a heavy blow when the people rejected a free-market related law in a referendum. It is widely believed that resentment against what many saw as the government's arrogance fueled this vote. In the 1994 national elections, he selected his Interior Minister, Juan Andrés Ramírez to be the presidential candidate of the Herrerismo faction. The National Party narrowly lost the elections.
[edit] Later runs for Presidential office
In 1999, he won his Party's primary elections against Juan Andrés Ramírez (who had split from the Herrerismo) and several other candidates, and was a candidate for presidency again. However, a string of accusations about corruption in his government damaged his chances. Ramírez's departure from active politics after losing the primary was the final blow, and Lacalle came in third place with 22.3% of the votes in the general elections.
Lacalle ran again for President in the 2004 elections, but the other Party leaders had gathered around a single opposing candidate, Jorge Larrañaga, who defeated him in the primaries by a 2 to 1 margin. Lacalle is now leader of his Nationalist sector, Herrerismo, and is part of the Party's Directorate.
Member of the Club of Madrid[1]. [1]
[edit] Family
Lacalle is married to the former María Julia Pou Brito del Pino (b. 1946); they have three children, Pilar Lacalle Pou, the controversial deputy Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou, and Juan José Lacalle Pou.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by Julio María Sanguinetti |
President of Uruguay 1990–1995 |
Succeeded by Julio María Sanguinetti |
[edit] References
- ^ (English) [http://www.clubmadrid.org The Club of Madrid is an independent organization dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world by drawing on the unique experience and resources of its Members – 66 democratic former heads of state and government.
