Uruguay’s leftist opposition candidate, Yamandú Orsi, became the country's new president in a tight runoff election that ousted the conservative governing coalition.

Uruguay’s leftist opposition candidate, Yamandú Orsi, has claimed victory in a tight runoff presidential election that ousted the conservative governing coalition.

The leading contenders in Uruguay’s presidential election say voters in the small South American nation had sent the race to a run-off in November.

Four investment banks have announced during a meeting of leaders of trade bloc Mercosur they will put $10 billion for infrastructure works aiming to better connect South America.

Uruguay’s foreign minister has resigned shortly after audio messages were published in which he appears to ask a former official to not hand over evidence in an investigation over a passport issued to an accused drug trafficker.

The Brazilian president’s strong support of Venezuela’s authoritarian leader has marred the unity at a South American summit that Brazil convened in hopes of reviving a bloc of the region’s 12 politically polarized countries.

After a reprieve of months, confirmed cases of COVID-19 are surging in the southern tip of South America.

FILE - In this March 1, 2005 Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez opens his arms to supporters from the balcony of the Government Palace in Montevideo, Uruguay. The former president died in Montevideo early Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Marcelo Hernandez, File)SANTIAGO – Uruguay's first socialist president, Tabaré Vázquez, who rose from poverty to win two terms as leader, died Sunday of cancer, a disease the physician dedicated much of his life to fighting. But in the second Vázquez administration, the economy softened, crime rose and Vice President Raúl Sendic was forced to resign over corruption allegations. During that first term, as president he championed some of the world’s strictest tobacco regulations.