It is said that when the enemy is making a mistake, you should not interrupt him. And the government of Luis Lacalle Pou has had propitious shortcomings for the broad front Apply that maxim and dedicate yourself to the attentive observation of the misadventures of others.
However, the left oscillates between moderation and excessiveness in the face of the events carried out by the ruling party and, on occasions, its own internship has prevented it from devoting the necessary time to more carefully follow in the footsteps of the adversary. Thus, at the end of 2022 and at the beginning of 2023, the left opted for anger and for a somewhat erratic course that gave oxygen to the Lacalle Pou administration.
For example, last year, the relationship between the main candidates for the FA presidency, the mayors Yamandú Orsi (Canelones) and Carolina Cosse (Montevideo) looked somewhat mixed and their gestures of mutual sympathy seemed made for the occasion.
When they had the opportunity to show that their fraternity was serious, they fought for the presidency of the Congress of Mayors and, since they could not share it because the regulations do not allow it, they decided to grant that position to the National Party rather than leave the window to the comrade so he could show off.
In the case involving President Lacalle’s former security chief, Alejandro Astesiano, there were no reasons to prevent everything from being a gain for the opposition and an immense loss for the government, or at least for the president. The appearance of the ex-custodian before the Justice and his rosary of crimes, favors and suspicious contacts with hierarchs close to the president and with police personnel was and is one of the weakest flanks in the president’s image.
But when it was just about playing and getting paid, the former head of the Ministry of the Interior and Frente Amplio adviser on security matters appeared, Gustavo Loyal, and he figured it all out.
The left oscillates between moderation and excess in the face of the events carried out by the ruling party and, on occasions, its own internship has prevented it from dedicating the necessary time to follow more carefully in the footsteps of the adversary.
Leal committed the clumsiness of meeting with Astesiano’s father in Chui without it is still known why he did it and, after his risky move, he was unexpectedly questioned before the prosecutor in the case, although the case was later filed.
In this way, Leal put the Broad Front in a bind and generated internal differences in a case that lent itself to the left to get liters of juice out of it. Thus, the Political Table of the coalition not only questioned Leal for the unconsulted steps, but also some sectors charged against the president of the FA, Fernando Pereira, for having supported what was done by who was emerging as Minister of the Interior if the left won the 2019 elections.
In recent weeks, the Broad Front seemed to have changed that attitude to show a more prudent opposition coalition. It is thus that while the partners of the government bled to death in the negotiation of a pension reform that generated several scars, on the left they dedicated themselves to observing the differences of others.
“At this point we do not know what the content of the project is,” said the president of the FA before the agreement was reached in which the colorados and council members added “water to the milk” according to president Lacalle Pou. “We are quite baffled because a project that was the perfect project” turned out not to be, said Pereira, hitting where it hurt the most but without being rude, after members of the National Party got their hands on the initiative.
On the other hand, in the case of allegations of sexual abuse against the leader of List 71, Senator Gustavo Penadés, the Broad Front reaction was compassionate towards the beaten parliamentarian, without failing to point out the seriousness of the accusations.
“The Broad Front is not going to make this cheap politicking, but rather it is going to wait to build enough information and listen very carefully,” said Pereira.
Even, Frente Amplio legislators came to greet Penadés after the press conference in which he denied having abused a minor.
However, the apparent cohesion and good sense shown by the Broad Front in these matters can go down the drain at any time, among other reasons due to the diversity of sectors that make it up and that make it difficult to design a common strategy.
As proof, the unnecessary is enough public reckoning with which two of the heavyweights that still survive within the coalition were honored. After the former Minister of Economy and former Vice President, Danilo Astori, said that during the presidency of José Mujica “a lot was spent and it was spent badly”, the MPP leader responded with a contemptuous “there he is”.
If two of the most experienced leaders on the left fell into this crossroads, it cannot be ruled out that more inexperienced leaders will be out of tune when the electoral campaign progresses and force them to be more eloquent in their intentions.
The apparent cohesion and good sense shown by the Broad Front in these matters can go down the drain at any time, among other reasons due to the diversity of sectors that make it up and that make it difficult to design a common strategy.
Thus, the candidate Orsi added a new nonsense when he criticized President Lacalle Pou for questioning the IAVA occupation. The Frente Amplio leader stated that the president was not in a position to comment on the matter because “he never stepped foot in a public teaching center”once again making the mistake of the left of stigmatizing Lacalle as a “pituco” – a strategy that did not help him in the electoral campaign – and, incidentally, failing that professor who teaches history without having traveled to the past, or the geography teacher who lectures on The Alps without having done mountaineering.
The Italian politician Giulio Andreotti made famous the maxim that power wears out more those who do not have it. Of course it is not always so. And in the current circumstances, it should be easier for the Broad Front than for the government – especially given its decades-long experience in the plain – to shield itself from the erosion of the exercise of power.
The main weight of a management that will mark the fate of the government coalition falls on the shoulders of Lacalle Pou, and the road is difficult. But the left would make a huge mistake if he believes that he can travel the stretch that still remains until October 2024 without taking care of his steps.
It will be necessary to see then if the temptation to criticize outrageously –added to the always latent internal differences- derails the Broad Front once again due to the imprint of folly.
