Jorge Pacheco Areco
Although Pacheco has always been vilified and strongly criticized by the Uruguayan left for a harsh reaction against the
Tupamaros guerrilla, he has always been respectful of the institutions. After leaving office, Bordaberry appointed him ambassador to Spain. Later on, President
Aparicio Méndez appointed him ambassador to the United States. He returned to the country in 1982, to fight the all-party primaries of 1982, which was the first step towards democratization after the democratic interruption of 1973. The "Batllismo" faction of the Colorado Party led by
Julio MarÃa Sanguinetti won the primaries. With this victory, the hegemony of Pacheco's faction in the party came to an end.
Jorge Pacheco stood once again as presidential candidate for the Unión Colorada y Batllista in the November 1984 elections, selecting his former Deputy Defence Secretary and Secretary to the President
Carlos Pirán as his running-mate. Although the Colorado Party won the elections, he lost to Sanguinetti 3 to 1 within the party.
Pacheco supported the new Colorado administration, and the UCB was represented in the cabinet. Sanguinetti designated Pacheco to be once again ambassador, this time to Paraguay. Returning from Paraguay, he accepted once again the Unión Colorada y Batllista nomination for the 1989 elections. Representative
Pablo Millor was selected as his running-mate, representing an up and coming faction within the UCB. Pacheco once again lost, both internally to
Jorge Batlle of the Batllismo faction, and the Colorado Party to the National Party.
Pacheco was part of the coalition government setup by President
Luis Alberto Lacalle. Due to this, his former VP candidate Pablo Millor split from his faction, taking with him close to half of the Pachequismo's elected representatives, creating a new, independent sector within the Colorados called "
Cruzada 94". The UCB was the last faction to remain in Lacalle's government, apart obviously from the President's
Herrerismo.
With his health in a quite frail state, Pacheco run once again for President, in elections in November 1994. This time his running-mate was outgoing Industry Minister (from the Lacalle administration)
Eduardo Ache. Pacheco's election result was very poor, but even his marginal result was significant for the Colorado Party to narrowly defeat the National Party and electing once again Julio MarÃa Sanguinetti to the presidency.
After the 1994 elections, Pacheco retired from active politics, and only occasionally would make any public appearance. He died on July 29, 1998, being buried with Presidential honours at the
Cementerio Central.
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