Tuesday, August 11th 2026 - 09:56 UTC
Lacalle Pou spoke for around half an hour before more than a thousand party members in Montevideo's Plaza Matriz, after several months of keeping a low profile
The first public appearance by former Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou since leaving office, at Sunday's ceremony marking the Partido Nacional's 190th anniversary, drew contrasting readings within the governing Frente Amplio and reopened discussion of his role in the opposition.
Lacalle Pou spoke for around half an hour before more than a thousand party members in Montevideo's Plaza Matriz, after several months of keeping a low profile. He described himself as an “old militant” and said that, after taking stock of his administration, he feels “at ease, satisfied, but not content.” He acknowledged “successes and mistakes” and called for unity: “It is not about healing wounds, it is about not inflicting them.” He made no electoral statements and did not announce a candidacy. Those present chanted “we are going to return” and cheered him with shouts of “President.”
The most discussed passage was a distinction between power and authority, which he attributed to a period of introspection begun months before his term ended. He defined power as something formal that originates in the vote, and authority as something built on intellectual, moral and emotional bonds. “You cannot exercise power well if you do not first have authority. You cannot govern a country well if you do not know it,” he said.
