Sunday, 30 November 2014

Leftist wins Uruguay's presidency


(CNN) -- Uruguay's politicians who led the charge to legalize marijuana and same-sex marriage appeared to win another ringing endorsement from voters in the South American country Sunday.


Exit polls placed Tabaré Vazquez of the left-wing Broad Front coalition in the lead in the country's presidential runoff. And candidate Luis Lacalle Pou of the conservative National Party told supporters Sunday evening that he had conceded to Vazquez and wished him well.


A win for Vazquez would give Uruguay a third consecutive five-year term with a leftist leader at the helm.


President Jose "Pepe" Mujica -- a former Marxist guerrilla who donates the majority of his salary, drives a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and sells flowers with his wife at their home -- leaves office next year.


Vazquez, a 74-year-old oncologist, was Uruguay's President from 2005 to 2010.


"Uruguayans again have said 'yes,' yes to more freedoms and more rights, better democracy and better citizenship," he said in a televised speech Sunday.


CNN en Español's Jose Manuel Rodriguez and Dario Klein contributed to this report.



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