Uruguay temporarily has women as president and vice-president for second time in its history

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Uruguay today has, for the second time in its history, a woman in both of the 2 highest positions of the State: vice-president Beatriz Argimón assumed the Presidency due to President Luis Lacalle Pou’s trip to Mexico and senator Graciela Bianchi assumed the vice-presidency.

The first time that women held the two highest State positions in Uruguay was when Lucía Topolansky was president and pro-government senator Patricia Ayala assumed the vice-presidency in September 2017.

President Lacalle Pou on September 16 traveled to Mexico City where he will attend the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Summit on Saturday, September 18. He will then travel to the United States to attend the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Uruguay’s constitution, like that of Brazil and other countries, provides that when Presidents are outside the country, they cannot rule the nation, and must be replaced during their absence by those next in line in the hierarchy.