Danilo Astori, the historical leader of the Broad Front, dies at the age of 83

He was the founder of Uruguay’s parliamentary sector and served as Vice President and Minister of Economy.

Danilo Astori, the historical leader of the Broad Front, died on Friday at the age of 83, according to medical sources. His wake will be held at 10:00 this Saturday at the Lost Steps Hall of the Legislative Palace.

Astori, who previously served as Vice-President of the Republic and Vice-President of the Ministry of Economy, suffered from respiratory failure and was admitted to the Kasmu CTI at the end of October due to this condition.

Astori fell; as a result, studies showed that he suffered a non-displaced hip fracture, as the former vice president’s wife and Broad Front deputy Claudia Hugo reported at the time.

Another study showed microinfarcts in the setting of hospitalization, “with no relevant clinical translation,” the deputy added.

Finally, this Friday Astori passed away.

The political and academic career of the “youngest dean”

Astori was born in Montevideo on April 23, 1940, and attended school and high school at the Maturana School in the Bellavista community.

After graduating from high school, he entered the Faculty of Economics of the University of the Republic, graduating five years later (in 1963) as a public accountant-economist.
According to the biography of the above-mentioned Center for Higher Education, he joined the team of the Institute of Economic Research of the institute as a researcher while still a student (1960).

Two years later, he took up the post of full professor as head of the Department of Economic Theory II.

Astori became a fifth-grade teacher at the college and was named dean in 1972. He still holds the title of the youngest dean of the School of Economics. In 1973, he had to step down due to the intervention of the dictatorship, but with the return of democracy he returned to office until 1989.

In addition to his academic activities, Astori was one of the leading figures of the Uruguayan left for decades. He is considered the main person responsible for the Broad Front’s economic policy during its three governments (2005-2020).

In 1971, he participated in the creation of the Broad Front and in 1994 founded the Uruguayan parliamentary sector, with the image of Serenista.

He was first elected to the Senate in 1990 and re-elected in 1995, 2000 and 2005. From 2005 to 2008, he served as Minister of Economy in the first government of Tabare Vazquez.

In 2010, he served as Vice President of the Republic in the government of José Mujica until 2015. In Vazquez’s second government, Astori returned to the post of Minister of Economy.

He was re-elected to the Senate in 2019, but has been unable to gain a foothold in his seat due to repeated health problems.

Between May and June 2020, he was hospitalized for more than a month due to pneumonia. After that, the long recovery process began.

He was only able to attend three plenary meetings of the Senate in the entire Legislative Yuan, and finally resigned in November 2022.