Tabaré Vázquez

Tabaré Vázquez moved from medicine into politics, serving as Intendant of Montevideo from 1990 to 1994 and losing presidential bids in 1994 and 1999 before winning on 31 October 2004. He took office on 1 March 2005 as Uruguay's first socialist president, strengthening unions and expanding social services while building diplomatic ties with Brazil and Argentina — though his Broad Front party criticized his anti-abortion stance. After his term ended in 2010, he ran again and won a second presidency in 2014, serving until March 2020. Nine months after leaving office, he died of lung cancer at 80.