Tabaré Vázquez | |
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39th and 41st President of Uruguay | |
Assumed office 1 March 2015 |
|
Vice President | Raúl Sendic |
Preceded by | José Mujica |
In office 1 March 2005 – 1 March 2010 |
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Vice President | Rodolfo Nin |
Preceded by | Jorge Batlle |
Succeeded by | José Mujica |
President pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations | |
In office 1 March 2015 – 23 April 2016 |
|
Preceded by | José Mujica |
Succeeded by | Nicolás Maduro |
Intendant of Montevideo | |
In office 5 May 1990 – 5 May 1994 |
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Preceded by | Eduardo Fabini Jiménez |
Succeeded by | Tabaré González |
Personal details | |
Born |
Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas 17 January 1940 Montevideo, Uruguay |
Political party | Socialist Party |
Other political affiliations |
Broad Front |
Spouse(s) | María Auxiliadora Delgado |
Children | Ignacio Álvaro Javier Fabián |
Alma mater | University of the Republic |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Signature |
Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas (Spanish pronunciation: [taβaˈɾe raˈmon ˈbaskes ˈrosas]; born January 17, 1940) is a Uruguayan politician who has been President of Uruguay since 2015. He previously served as President from 2005 to 2010. A physician (oncologist) by training, he is a member of the leftist Frente Amplio coalition (Broad Front in English).
Vázquez was first elected President on October 31, 2004, took office on March 1, 2005, and relinquished the office on March 1, 2010.
Born in the Montevideo neighbourhood of La Teja, Tabaré Vázquez studied medicine at the Universidad de la República Medical School, graduating as an oncology specialist in 1972. In 1976, he received a grant from the French government, allowing him to obtain additional training at the Gustave Roussy Institute in Paris.
From 1990 to 1995, Vázquez was the Frente Amplio coalition's first Mayor of Montevideo. In 1994, he made an unsuccessful run for president as the Frente Amplio candidate, receiving 30.6% of the vote. In 1996, he was elected leader of the Frente Amplio, replacing the historic leader of the left-wing coalition, Liber Seregni. He ran again in 1999, receiving 45.9 percent of the vote in the runoff election, losing to Jorge Batlle.
Vázquez is married to María Auxiliadora Delgado and has three biological children with her (Ignacio, Álvaro and Javier) and an adopted son (Fabián).
In the 2004 elections, he won 50.45% of the valid votes, with 1,124,761 votes on the first ballot--enough to win the presidency in a single round. To date, he is the only president since the institution of a two-round system in 1999 to win without the need for a runoff.