"Leftist sworn in as new Uruguay president" Associated Press March 02, 2015
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — One leftist leader replaced another in Uruguay on Sunday, a change seemingly marked more by style than differences in policy as the elegant Tabare Vazquez took over from the famously casual Jose Mujica, who formally left office in rubber-soled brown shoes.
Vazquez, a 75-year-old oncologist who was president from 2005 to 2010, has said he will allow the government to proceed with one of Mujica’s most controversial initiatives, the world’s first state-run marijuana marketplace, though he said he will change it if problems emerge.
The new president urged Uruguayans to work together to improve public education, health, and housing, and he decried the violence haunting the world beyond.
‘‘Seldom in history has humanity been so shaken, so beaten, so overwhelmed as in these times. Violence, fear, terror, intolerance stalk different regions of our planet,’’ he said in his inaugural address.
Vazquez shook up Uruguayan politics when he became president the first time, peacefully ending 170 years of two-party dominance. But he governed as a relatively cautious moderate and left office with approval ratings of about 70 percent.
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I didn't even know there was an election.
