Juan Sartori, the tycoon who dreams to be President of Uruguay – 14/02/2019

Until last December, when it was launched at the Metro Theater in Montevideo and surprised its National Party rivals (where the favorite is Luis Lacalle Pou), businessman Juan Sartori (38 years) was better known as a successful financier and owner of 150,000 hectares of cattle in Uruguay. He has lived a good part of his life between Europe and the United States, has never voted in his country but loves football, partners and social networks. Sartori is married to Ekaterina Rybolovlev, daughter of a Russian mogul, Dmitri Rybolovlev, owner of the Monegasque football club and with an estimated fortune of $ 8,500 million, according to Forbes magazine. Sartori has an English team, Sunderland. And for now, he's one of the six candidates for the National Party, but he dreams of being president this year. Before having to win internal elections in June, his rivals Luis Lacalle Pou, Jorge Larrañaga, Verónica Alonso, Enrique Antia and Carlos Lafigliola. But you have faith.

– What brings you to Buenos Aires?

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-In principle, my campaign "Juan Sartori listens", with a closing act in Buenos Aires designed for the Uruguayan community. The act was Thursday night, but I will come back several times. Half a million Uruguayans live here. There are talented people who could do a lot for my country if, from the presidency, we provide the economic and social conditions necessary for take-off.

-You have already visited 250 cities in Uruguay during the campaign, what could you observe during this trip?

-The hardest is the lack of work, suffer young people who now dream to emigrate and the elderly who feel marginalized. Uruguay had a reputation for being a safe country, but now nobody leaves the doors of the house open, cocaine arrives. Our pride was public health and public education, but not anymore. People tell me that the state collects a lot of taxes but offers poor services. And yet, Uruguay is a country endowed with resources ranging from tourism to organic farming. I am encouraged to say that even among the various Uruguayan political parties, whether right-wing or left-wing, there is a basic consensus on how to manage the economy. The problem is that the Broad Front has increased taxes and fees. Many businesses are closing and the country is expensive for everyone, even for tourists.

– In these times, the experience of globalization is disappointing, as evidenced by the rise of far right parties in Europe. What do you think?

This disappointment is also due to the lack of renewal of the policy. I think we should be part of the world. We isolated ourselves, we refuse economic agreements with Europe and the United States. But it's not a question of age, but of ideas: to badume that we are in the 21st century, not in the 70s. If a country like Costa Rica is already developing software and advanced technology industries, why not us?

– How do you see the crisis in Venezuela?

-The democratic solution is to have free elections, with all the guarantees. Uruguay was one of the few countries, along with Mexico and Bolivia, to have been harshly arrested at the meeting of the contact group that was held in Montevideo. President Tabaré Vázquez is now in agreement with his Argentine counterpart, Mauricio Macri. I believe that he lacked a clear vision.