29 Facts About Jorge Batlle

Jorge Batlle graduated from the University of the Republic in 1959 with a law degree, and then began a career as a journalist in El Dia newspaper.

Jorge Batlle began his political career in the 1950s, being elected National Representative in the 1958 general election.

Jorge Batlle's presidency was marked by the worsening of a banking crisis and a foot-and-mouth epidemic that affected the country's economy.

In foreign policy, Jorge Batlle's government strengthened Uruguay's ties with the United States and broke diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Jorge Luis Batlle Ibanez was born on October 25,1927 in Montevideo.

Jorge Batlle was the eldest son of Luis Batlle Berres and Matilde Ibanez Talice.

Jorge Batlle was a member of the Batlle family originally from Sitges, Catalonia, Spain, and which includes several presidents of Uruguay, such as Jose Batlle y Ordonez, who was his great-uncle.

Jorge Batlle attended the Elbio Fernandez School and the German School of Montevideo.

Jorge Batlle obtained a law degree from the University of the Republic in 1959.

Jorge Batlle was by that time a member of the governing body of his Party.

Jorge Batlle unsuccessfully ran for president in 1966, and was part of a financial scandal in 1968, which was never proven.

In 1965 Jorge Batlle was elected the sole leader of List 15 of the Colorado Party, a position that had become vacant after the death of his father the previous year.

Jorge Batlle proposed a return to a presidential system, eliminating the National Council of Government, and was one of the drafters and promoters of the constitutional reform that gave rise to the 1967 Constitution.

Jorge Batlle ran for president again in 1971, without success.

Jorge Batlle did preside over the Legislative General Assembly in February 1985, when the first democratically elected Congress was seated after the military interregnum.

Dr Jorge Batlle was a leading promoter and drafter of two Constitutional Amendments, one in 1966 and the other more recently in 1996.

Jorge Batlle was defeated again in the 1989 and 1994 presidential elections, and won the 1999 elections, taking office in 2000.

Jorge Batlle took office at a particularly difficult moment for Uruguay, as an economic depression led the country 2002 Uruguay banking crisis and close to sovereign default, and a third of the population below the poverty line.

Jorge Batlle's administration had to deal with a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, which threatened access of Uruguayan beef to international markets.

Jorge Batlle firmly backed MERCOSUR, which he saw as instrumental for an open regional integration into the world economy.

Jorge Batlle favoured strengthening MERCOSUR by forming associations such as the one envisaged in the so-called "4+1" agreement with the United States.

Jorge Batlle maintained close diplomatic ties with the US at a time when the Pink tide in Latin America was marked by several regional governments that distanced themselves from the US.

Jorge Batlle had a diplomatic conflict with Cuba, as he criticised the human rights record of the Castro's regime.

Jorge Batlle proposed the legalization of cocaine, as a way to reduce the political clout of drug cartels.

Jorge Batlle was in favour of the creation of the Free Trade Association of the Americas.

Jorge Batlle stayed active in politics after the end of his presidency.

Jorge Batlle criticised the Uruguayan presidents that succeeded him through newspapers columns and social media.

Jorge Batlle fell and struck his head after he fainted during an event at the Colorado party.

Jorge Batlle was hospitalized at the Sanatorio Americano hospital, and underwent surgery to stop an intracranial hemorrhage.