Alvaro Delgadocandidate of the National Party, has revealed that the former president of the Central Bank, Diego Labatwill be the next Minister of Economy and Finance if he becomes president.
The announcement was made at a press conference with his running mate, Valeria Ripolland key members of the current government’s economic team.
At the conference, Delgado was accompanied by the Minister of Economy, Azucena Arbeleche, the director of the Office of Planning and Budget, Fernando Blanco, and the coordinator of the technical teams of his campaign, Agustín Iturralde.
Delgado took the opportunity to highlight the continuity of the current government’s economic and fiscal policy, focusing on job creation and the country’s economic development.
“Here is part of the current government’s economic team,” Delgado said, stressing the importance of maintaining the stability and economic growth achieved during the current administration. “We are facing the best economic team that Uruguay has ever had,” he emphasized, highlighting the achievements in employment, inflation and wages.
Delgado’s Economic Vision
Delgado reaffirmed his commitment to fiscal and economic responsibility, noting that job creation will be the fundamental pillar of his administration. “Employment, development, investment, certainty, peace of mind and opportunity for growth will be the pillars of our economic policy,” he said.
The candidate highlighted Labat as “a renowned economist who has been the visible face of having inflation at the lowest levels in the last 18 years” and praised his management at Ancap, where he demonstrated “firmness, conviction and foundation.”
Diego Labat’s reaction to the call
In his speech, Diego Labat thanked Delgado for the trust placed in him. “It will be a pleasure and an honour for me to be able to accompany Álvaro on the road to the Presidency of the Republic,” he said.
Labat outlined his future goals, emphasizing the need to move towards a country with a lower cost of living and a more favorable environment for production. “Our next challenge is to take a new leap and move towards a country that is cheaper to live in and to produce in, and that will ultimately result in an increase in the well-being of the entire population,” he stressed.
Labat also stressed the “harmony” and “great coordination” that has existed between the Central Bank and the current government’s economic team. “There has been only one economic team throughout this period, coordinating every Monday at 9 in the morning,” he stressed, underlining the importance of constant and effective collaboration.
Delgado praises Labat’s management
Delgado, through a previous statement, had expressed his appreciation for Labat’s management at the head of the Central Bank. “Labat presided over the BCU in challenging years, but his vision, solvency and serenity allowed him, together with a great economic team, to achieve important achievements that benefit us all,” he wrote.
“One of them was to achieve the lowest inflation in 18 years, something that seems far away, but that makes salaries go further. Thank you, Diego, for your enormous contribution in these years and for your commitment to continue working for the future of the country,” he concluded.
