Hugo Batalla Parentini (July 11, 1926 – October 3, 1998),

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, was

Vice President of Uruguay The vice president of Uruguay is the person with the second highest position in the executive branch of the Uruguayan government, after the President of Uruguay. The vice president replaces the elected President in case of his death or absence. Th ...

from 1995 to 1998 during the presidency of Julio María Sanguinetti.

Background

His political activity started in the Colorado Party with Zelmar Michelini. Batalla was elected ''diputado'' for the Department of Montevideo from 1962–66 and 1967–71, and was President of the Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay from 1969 to 1970. He was also a member of the Latin American Parliament and Vice-President from 1968–69. He split from Colorado in 1971 to form the '' Frente Amplio'' with Michelini, and was re-elected ''diputado'' from 1972 until the instauration of the military dictatorship in June 1973. After the return of constitutional rule, he was elected senator for the '' Party for the Government of the People'' (which would later rejoin the ''Frente Amplio'') from 1985–1995, and was Vice-President of the Chamber of Senators during 1993. He also ran as a presidential candidate in 1989.

Vice President of Uruguay

Batalla rejoined the Colorado Party for the elections of 1994-11-27 and was elected

. He died in office of lung cancer at the age of 72.

Historical note

Batalla was the eleventh person to hold the office of

. The office dates from 1934, when Alfredo Navarro became

's first Vice President.

Other activities

Aside from politics, Batalla founded the newspaper '' Hechos'' and the political magazine '' Zeta''. He was also President of the '' Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol'' (AUF, Uruguayan Football Association) from 1991–93, and Vice-president of the '' Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol'' (CSF, South American Football Confederation) between 1992 and 1993.

Personal

Batalla married Hilda Flores in 1953, and the couple had a daughter Laura.

References