Uruguay’s president-elect won’t live in 3-story presidential palace, like José Mujica

MONTEVIDEO (AP) — Uruguay’s president-elect Yamandú Orsi has turned down the luxuries of the official presidential residence and will instead continue to live with his family in a modest beachside town outside of the capital Montevideo.

“We resolved some things like staying there in Salinas; my children are going through another stage, which is secondary education, and they are going to do it there,” the left-wing politician told journalists late on Saturday in remarks that were made public Sunday.

Salinas is 38 kilometers (24 miles) to the east of Montevideo. Orsi, who will take office on Mar. 1, said he and his family would often have to stay in the capital.

The decision echoed the one taken by former President José Mujica at his inauguration on Mar. 1, 2010. Mujica also refused to reside in the three-story Suarez palace, complete with a rose garden, a pond, a swimming pool, a sports court and a barbecue. He stayed on his farm in Cerro, on the outskirts of Montevideo, where he still lives.

The personal residence of Mujica and his wife and former vice-president, Lucía Topolansky, had to be remodeled and security cameras and escape routes added, among other changes.

Other presidents such as Tabaré Vázquez (2005-2010 and 2015-2020) and Oscar Gestido (1967) also refused to live in the official residence, located in the upscale Prado neighborhood.

Orsi won the last election in November. He is considered Mujica’s political heir. His victory marked the return of a center-left government to Uruguay’s presidency after five years of a conservative administration.