Tabaré Vázquez, the oncologist who, not even president, forgot his patients

Former President Tabaré Vázquez, who died this Sunday, December 6 at the age of 80, was one of the the main leaders of Uruguayan politics over the past 30 years, period during which He held the presidency of the country in two terms (2005-10 and 2015-20), and also became one of the referents of the South American center-left.

The honesty and lucidity de Vázquez, brought to the political level of their administrations in all their strata, allowed the Uruguayan left together José “Pepe” Mujica (president between 2010 and 2015) and the accountant Danilo Astori of the Ministry of the Economy, to form the group of leaders who from the broad front followed the trail marked out by General Liber Seregni.

the Cancer ended Vázquez’s life, but paradoxically he has been the protagonist of almost his entire professional life, as a renowned medical oncologist, a profession he has always exercised, even in the midst of his political obligations. Of socialist origin, Tabaré (as he was popularly called in Uruguay, by his first name) has maintained despite his responsibilities as head of state always a few hours a week to devote to his profession and take care of his patients.

Was born on January 17, 1940 in the Montevideo district of La Teja and active in politics since 1983, when he joined the Socialist Party, In which he was active until he demanded his disaffiliation in 2008, after his veto on the abortion law that had been passed by the bench of Frente Amplio during his first term. President Mujica will implement this controversial project in 2012.

The first left-wing mayor of Montevideo between 1990 and 1995, had already been proclaimed candidate for the presidency of the Republic by the Front large in 1994, 1999 (when he was defeated in the second round) and in 2004, when he won. in the first round.

On this occasion, Tabaré obtained 50.45% of the vote, overtaking the National Party candidate, Jorge Larrañaga (34.30%) and Guillermo Stirling. of the Colorado Party (10.36%), among others. In 2014, he won the presidency again, but this time in the ballot against the current president, Luis Lacalle Pou, who won with 53.48% of the vote, against 41.17% for the candidate of the National Party.

Married 23 October 1964 to Maria Auxiliadora Delgado -who died on July 31, 2019-, they had three children: Álvaro, in 1966; Javier, in 1967, and Ignacio, in 1970, as well as an adopted son, Fabián Barbosa.

Member of Artigas Lodge of Uruguayan Freemasonry and fishing enthusiast, in 1979 he became president of the Club Atlético Progreso, that he would play for 10 years, and during his tenure the club became champions of the Uruguayan Premier League football for the first and only time. On several occasions he was a strong candidate for the presidency of the Uruguayan Football Association, but he never achieved the consensus needed to take the post.

Vázquez became a figure widely known to the Argentine people – and questioned by part of him – during his first presidential term, when he allowed a pastoral factory called Botnia to be established in Uruguayan territory, but on the shores. of the Uruguay River.

Environmentalists and residents of the city of Gualeguaychú, located on the other side of the water canal, they denounced that the paper mill could contaminate the waters of the river of shared jurisdiction, but the Uruguayan president maintained the construction, first, and the operation of the controversial industry, later.

Vázquez started having health problems last year. Also in the government, he announced on August 20, 2019 that a tumor had been detected in his right lung. Two days later he was admitted to a hospital in the capital for further studies confirming the presence of a malignant tumor and in September he completed radiosurgery radiation therapy to combat it.

“Science allows cancer to be one of the most curing diseases,” he said months later, and expressed a desire “to be able to put the presidential belt on the next president,” this which he did on March 1 of this year when he died. the order to Lacalle Pou.

The last revision to which it was submitted in May of this year had given “excellent results” in showing no tumor activity. However, some close associates told El País newspaper that the former president had suffered some relapses of his illness, the latest just days before the regional elections on September 27.

Vázquez underwent surgery last June for a benign prostate tumor that was unrelated to his cancer and for which he was hospitalized for only one day. In early June, he tested negative for the coronavirus after a meeting with Lacalle Pou, who had been in contact with infected people but also tested negative. Finally, cancer has taken over the former president, and the pain of the Uruguayan party for irreparable loss is felt in many parts of the continent.

TE / HB