JORGE LUIS BATLLE IBANEZ

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06746839
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2018
• Case Number: F-2017-01335
• Publication Date: December 18, 2003

Approved for Release: 2018/05/21 C06746839
reedeS
This profile is based on information available as of 18 December 2003 and does not reflect developments since that time.
Jorge Luis BATLLE Ibanez
(Phonetic: BAH-zhay)
President (since 2000)
Addressed as: Mr. President
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Lawyer and lifelong Colorado Party (PC)
politician Jorge Batlle is struggling to improve
Uruguay's troubled economy and to carve out a role
for his small country in international affairs. He
assiduously seeks closer relations with the United
States with the overlapping aims of reducing
Uruguay's vulnerability to economic gyrations in
neighboring Argentina and Brazil, gaining greater
market access for Uruguayan products, and boosting
his own political prestige, which has declined
precipitously largely as a result of the country's
worst economic performance in a century. Public
opinion polls indicate that a majority of Uruguayans
has lost confidence in his ability to manage the
economy
despite his
difficulties, Batlle remains committed to seeing his
market-friendly policies through. Batlle has publicly
recognized President Bush's role in "rescuing"
Uruguay by providing a bridge loan and support in
international financial institutions for emergency
financing in 2002 (b)(1)
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Under the Gun at Home
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Despite Batlle's desire for a larger international
role and his willingness to tackle the economy's
inefficiencies, entrenched political resistance to
reforming Uruguay's popular social welfare system
has stymied his efforts. After some early successes
in pushing legislation through Congress, Batlle's
efforts to privatize key state-owned enterprises have
stalled in the face of opposition from across the
political spectrum.
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His failure to
consult with his former coalition partner, the
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URUGUAY
Proud of Role as "Cowboy Number Two"
Bathe strongly supports the US antiterrorist
position. He effusively praised President Bush's
2001 speech to the UN General Assembly session
on counterterrorism, and dubbed himself
"Cowboy Number Two" to President Bush's
"Cowboy Number One" to demonstrate his
support. Batlle has increased his country's
manpower contributions to international
peacekeeping operations with the stated aim of
freeing US soldiers from nonterrorism- related
duties; in fact, Uruguay is the largest contributor
of all of the Americas to UN security operations.
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National Party, contributed to the party's withdrawal
of its ministers from the cabinet in late 2002, (b)(3)
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(continued)
LP 03-107048
18 December 2003
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Baffle became the
first Latin American leader to call for the
legalization of illicit drugs. The President claims
that legalization would lower drug prices and
damage the livelihood of narcotraffickers. In
addition, he has openly chastised the US State
(b)(1)
Department for suggesting that money laundere(b)(3)
exploit Uruguay's banking system. He asserts tilai
Washington should focus on its own problems,
alleging that the United States has the world's
largest money-laundering system as a result of high
US drug consumption
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Hedging His Bets on Mercosur
Batlle often expresses frustration with the slow
pace of regional economic integration. He pushes
his Mercosur counterparts to implement more
"harmonious" macroeconomic policies that would
bolster the bloc's ability to negotiate with the United
States, Europe, and other regional trade coalitions.
He has been wary of Brazil's foot-dragging on
negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA) agreement. Batlle also has complained to
US diplomats that Brazil is politicizing Mercosur
and attempting to control policymalcing for all of
South America. (b)(3)
Career and Personal Data (U)
Baffle was born on 25 October 1927 in
Montevideo. Several of his ancestors were
Presidents of Uruguay, including his late father,
President (1947-51) Luis Baffle Berres. Batlle holds
a law degree from the University of the Republic of
Uruguay. He began his political career in 1945,
when he joined List 15�a minority faction of the
PC. From 1958 to 1967 he served in the Chamber of
Deputies. Batlle ran unsuccessfully for the
presidency in 1966, 1971, 1989, and 1994. During
Uruguay's military dictatorship (1973-85), he was a
representative of the PC in the Triumvirate, a
clandestine party. After the restoration of civilian
rule, he served as a senator from 1985 to 1989.
Batlle was president of the PC from 1990 until '
when he was reelected senator' - tie held t(b)(1)
his 1999 presidential win. (b)(3) (b)(3)
Batlle is married to his second wife, Maria de las
Mercedes Menafra; he has a daughter and a son from
his first marriage and three grandchildren.
he enjoys reading,
walking, and spending time in the countryside.
Baffle has a passion for classic cars and is an avid
fan of rowing and Nacional�one of the top soccer
teams in Uruguay. The President, who is an
agnostic, has received the Jerusalem prize from the
World Zionist Organization for his religious
tolerance. In addition to his native Spanish, he
speaks English, German, French, and Portuguese
fluently. (b)(3)
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Approved for Release: 2018/05/21 C06746839