President Jorge Batlle has a majority in Congress, so he should gain approval for next year's tough budget.

ECONOMIST: Uruguay's economy

Jorge Batlle, of the Colorado Party, was elected president of Uruguay , beating his left-wing rival, Tabare Vazquez, by a margin of seven-and-a-half percentage points.

ECONOMIST: Violent in Seattle

The gradual erosion of support for the Colorado Party of President Jorge Batlle, and its parliamentary ally until recently, the conservative National Party, has been accelerated by economic calamity.

ECONOMIST: Counter-reform in Latin America