Figure 9. Government Structure, 1990

President Lacalle
Courtesy Embassy of Uruguay, Washington

18th of July Avenue in downtown Montevideo
Courtesy Inter-American Development Bank

Uruguay was a republic with three separate branches of government (see fig. 9). The 1967 constitution institutionalized a strong presidency, subject to legislative and judicial checks. The electorate exercised sovereignty directly through elections, initiatives, or referendums and indirectly through representative powers established by the constitution.

Data as of December 1990