Uruguayan Elections 2009

My penultimate day in Uruguay was spent witnessing the Uruguayan elections, a once-in-five-year opportunity. At stake were the presidency, the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate and two referendums (on whether to repeal the constitutional clause that protects the military dictatorship from being tried and whether to allow Uruguayans residing abroad to vote). As I mentioned earlier, this was a very exciting event, for all Uruguayans residing in the country are required to vote and thus people are very passionate about politics.

Having spent the past few weeks in Uruguay, I was well informed of which parties and candidates were running for the presidency, Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. I could probably identify the party colors since their flags are more ubiquitous than the Uruguayan flag. I have to admit that I could not wait for the elections to be over with as I was tired of all the campaign advertisements, both print and on TV; tired of people handing me campaign flyers (can you believe that they think I am Uruguayan?) and tired of the litter that these flyers generate.

On election day, the streets of Pocitos, the neighborhood where I was staying at, normally quiet, was filled with people. At the polling place, which is mostly in an academic institution, each person has to show his or her voter registration booklet or card and then enter an empty room filled with flyers. Inside, the voter would place his or her preferred party list (listing the senators and deputies in order of preference, as they vote along party lines), which is identical to the ubiquitous flyers handed out on the streets, and a flyer with “si”, if he or she supported the referendum, into an envelope. The voter would then exit the room and place the sealed envelope into the locked ballot box.

With my host family, I attended a huge post-election rally for the Frente Amplio (FA) party. The event was like a huge party, with fireworks, flags and food! I wish elections in the U.S. were this colorful. Unfortunately, it appeared that the FA was headed for a run-off at the end of November so I will not know the result for a while.

The Warm and Hospitable Uruguayans

Uruguayans are some of the world’s friendliest people I have met! They are a humble and friendly bunch, always willing to help people with directions and other needs. Various customs I have observed have also led me to believe in this. In social situations, Uruguayans kiss all the other people (cheek-to-cheek kiss and just once, on the right cheek), regardless of whether they have just met and regardless of the gender. Furthermore, they like to bring the mate gourd and thermos out into the streets and drink it on the beach or at a park, passing the mate around amongst friends.

My CouchSurfing hosts have been very amicable and also hospitable. For example, I felt like part of the Diaz family the moment I stepped into their apartment. Everyone, the mother, father, two brothers, sister, sister’s boyfriend, 2 cats and dog made me feel at home. I enjoyed learning about Uruguay and its culture through our conversations. I shared mate with my host Manuel and his friends by the Rambla just minutes after we met. One side note, the mother makes the best bread and pizza!

After staying with the Diaz family for a few days, the sister Aliusha and her boyfriend Mauro kindly took me into their apartment. I felt like I was staying with long-lost friends! Aliusha even arranged it so that I could stay with a friend of hers in La Paloma, a beach town on the Atlantic coast of Uruguay.

I was also made a part of Alejandro’s family at the farm from the very first day. I was invited to eat with them and help out with farm tasks. This occurred even though I had never met them and they knew nothing about CouchSurfing. Furthermore, it was amazing how we managed to communicate; I don’t understand Spanish and they don’t understand English. However, with the aid of a Spanish-English dictionary, some gestures and some patience, we were able to comprehend each other. I enjoyed playing with Alejandro’s youngest daughter, Anneline, who even served me fresh peanuts from the farm!