Luis Lacalle

"Without a State we cannot all enjoy freedom. The State has to —as we say in Uruguay— 'make a little footing'; we have to have a strong State so that the individual can enjoy the exercise of freedom."

Luis Lacalle Pou is a Uruguayan politician born in Montevideo. He graduated as a lawyer from the Catholic University of Uruguay in 1998.

In 2020, he assumed the Presidency of Uruguay at the age of 46, becoming the country's youngest President since the return to democracy in 1985. His leadership marked the end of 15 years of leftist governments in the nation and was characterized by a liberal approach, with structural reforms (including the transformation of the pension and education system) and an outstanding management of the COVID-19 pandemic. His term of office ended on March 1, 2025, leaving a significant mark in Uruguayan and Latin American politics.

His political career began in 1999 when he was elected Deputy for the National Party, a position in which he was reelected for three consecutive terms (2000-2015), becoming President of the Chamber of Representatives between 2011 and 2012. Subsequently, he served as Senator from 2015 to 2019. In 2014, he was a Presidential Candidate, but lost in the second round to Tabaré Vázquez. However, in 2019, he achieved victory against Daniel Martínez (Broad Front), consolidating a multiparty alliance unprecedented in the history of Uruguay: The Republican Coalition.