Azucena María Arbeleche Perdomo (born 29 September 1970) is a Uruguayan professor,economist and civil servant who serves as Minister of Economy and Finance of Uruguay since 1 March 2020 under president Luis Lacalle Pou,being the first woman to hold that office. [1] [2]
Azucena María Arbeleche Perdomo was born in 1970,the daughter of Beltrán JoséArbeleche and Theresita Perdomo. [3] She attended The British Schools of Montevideo,and in 1996 graduated from the University of the Republic with a degree in economics. [4] She also obtained a master's degree in applied macroeconomics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. [5]
While she was in her fourth year of college,she worked for the Office of Planning and Budget. [6] From March 1995 to December 1996,she served as a collaborator at BGV Corredores de Bolsa,and from 1998 to 2000 at the Center for Economic and Financial Research in Santiago. [7]
In 2001 she joined the Macroeconomic Advisory of the Ministry of Economy and Finance,at the request of her former professor ant then minister Isaac Alfie. [8] In that position,she participated in the design and implementation of measures against the 2002 crisis,and in the restructuring process of the total government debt in May 2003. [7] [9] From 2005 to 2010,she served as an advisor to the Debt Management Unit of the Ministry of Economy and Finance,at the request of then-minister Danilo Astori. [8] She was its head from 2011 to 2014,when she resigned to join the presidential campaign of Luis Lacalle Pou as economic adviser. [10]
Between 2015 and 2019 she dedicated herself to carrying out independent consultancies in debt management abroad through the International Monetary Fund,the World Bank and the Plata Basin Financial Development Fund. [4] She also held the position of director of the Center for Studies of the National Party. [9] Arbeleche was a professor at institutions such as the University of the Republic,the Catholic University of Uruguay,Andrés Bello National University and the University of Montevideo. [11]
A member of the National Party,Arbeleche was in charge of economic issues for the presidential campaigns of Luis Lacalle Pou in 2014 and 2019. [12] [13] On 16 December 2019,she was formally announced by the president-elect Lacalle Pou as head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance,becoming on 1 March 2020,the first woman to hold the position. [14] [15] During the process of reactivating the Uruguayan economy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,Arbeleche expressed her admiration for Keynesian economics. [16]
With her husband Juan Alzugaray,Arbeleche has two sons born in Chile and a daughter born in Boston. [18] [19] She is a Roman Catholic and has done social work as a catechist and teacher in slums. [20] [6]
In 2014 she was featured on the cover of the magazine Seis Grados of the newspaper El Observador . [21]
The National Party also known as the White Party,is a major political party in Uruguay. Founded in 1836 by General Manuel Oribe,it is the country's oldest active political party,and along with the Colorado Party,its origin dates back to the establishment of Uruguay as an independent state.
Luis Alberto Aparicio Alejandro Lacalle Pou,is a Uruguayan politician and lawyer,serving as the 42nd president of Uruguay since 2020.
Japan–Uruguay relations are foreign relations between Japan and Uruguay. Both countries are members of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Pablo Andrés Mieres Gómez is a Uruguayan politician of the Independent Party (PI),who served as Minister of Labour and Social Welfare from 2020 to 2024 under President Luis Lacalle Pou. He previously served as National Representative from 2000 to 2005 and as Senator of the Republic from 2015 to 2020.
Javier Fernando García Duchini is a Uruguayan politician of the National Party,currently serving as Senator of the Republic since 2024. He previously served as Minister of National Defense from 2020 to 2024 under Luis Lacalle Pou,and as National Representative on several occasions.
General elections were held in Uruguay on Sunday,27 October 2019 to elect the President and General Assembly. As no presidential candidate received a majority in the first round of voting,a runoff election took place on 24 November.
Beatriz Argimón Cedeira is a Uruguayan politician and notary of the National Party currently serving as the 18th Vice President of Uruguay since 1 March 2020,being the first woman to be elected in that position.
The Republican Coalition,previously known as the Multicolor Coalition,is a big tent political coalition formed in Uruguay in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay has resulted in 1,041,640 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 7,684 deaths.
Sergio Daniel Puglia Silva is a Uruguayan chef,restaurateur,presenter and businessman.
Pablo Bartol is an Uruguayan social entrepreneur,lecturer and politician who served as Minister of Social Development from March 1,2020 to May 1,2021.
Lorena Ponce de León Núñez is an Uruguayan landscape architect. She was the wife of Luis Lacalle Pou,who serves as the 42nd president of Uruguay.
Verónica María Alonso Montaño is a Uruguayan businesswoman and politician of the National Party. She served as a Senator of the Republic from 2015 to 2020 and as a National Representative from 2010 to 2015.
Carolina Ache Batlle is a Uruguayan lawyer and politician of the Colorado Party who served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations from 1 March 2020 to 19 December 2022. She was a candidate in the 2024 Colorado presidential primaries for president of Uruguay.
The inauguration of Luis Lacalle Pou as the 42nd president of Uruguay took place on 1 March 2020 in Montevideo and marked commencement of the term of Luis Lacalle Pou as president and Beatriz Argimón as vice president.
Julio Daniel Salinas Grecco is a Uruguayan neurologist and politician of Open Cabildo (CA),who served as Minister of Public Health of Uruguay from 1 March 2020 to 13 March 2023.
The presidency of Luis Lacalle Pou began on 1 March 2020 when he was inaugurated as the 42nd president of Uruguay. Lacalle Pou,a member of the National Party took office following his victory over the Broad Front nominee Daniel Martínez in the second round of the 2019 general election,which ended the 15-year leftist rule in the country and the return of National Party to the Executive since his own father was the president in 1990–1995. On 16 December 2019,after his victory in the second round and before his inauguration,he announced his cabinet consisting of leaders of National,Colorado,Cabildo Abierto and Independent parties,members of the Multicolor Coalition.
Omar Ignacio Paganini Herrera is an Uruguayan electrical engineer,academic and politician of the National Party,serving as Minister of Foreign Relations since November 2023 under president Luis Lacalle Pou. Previously,he served as Minister of Industry,Energy and Mining from March 2020 to November 2023.
A referendum on the Urgent Consideration Law was held in Uruguay to ask the electorate if 135 articles of Law 19,889 –approved by the General Assembly in 2020 and considered as the main legislative initiative of the coalition government of President Luis Lacalle Pou —should be repealed. It was the result of a campaign promoted by various social and political actors such as the national trade union center PIT-CNT and the opposition party Broad Front. On 8 July 2021,almost 800,000 adhesions were delivered to the Electoral Court,exceeding 25% of the total number of registered voters who are constitutionally required to file a referendum appeal against a law.