Uruguay’s governing Broad Front, known locally as the Frente Amplio, unanimously endorsed a pro-Palestinian march scheduled for Montevideo on October 8, calling on supporters to join the demonstration and urging President Yamandú Orsi’s government to pursue further international action on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The coalition’s national political committee approved the decision on Monday. The march, organized by Coordinación por Palestina en Uruguay, is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. local time in central Montevideo and proceed toward Plaza Independencia, according to Uruguayan news outlet la diaria. Organizers are promoting the demonstration under the slogan “Free Palestine or barbarism.”
In its resolution, the Broad Front accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of carrying out “genocide” in Gaza and said it was joining international demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians. Israel has rejected accusations of genocide, saying its military campaign was directed against Hamas following the terrorist organization’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
The October 8 demonstration comes almost three years after the Hamas-led massacre, in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages into Gaza. The Gaza war that followed continued until a ceasefire took effect in October 2025.
The Broad Front called for respect for international law and human rights across the region, specifically mentioning the West Bank and Lebanon, and reiterated its support for a two-state solution. It also urged Uruguay’s government to continue promoting initiatives in international forums aimed at reaching a lasting resolution to the conflict.
The party’s position reflects a more forceful line on Israel than the language generally adopted by Orsi’s government. Reports in Uruguay have described tensions within the governing coalition over foreign policy, with the Broad Front using the term “genocide” regarding Gaza while the government has stopped short of adopting the same characterization.
Orsi, who took office in 2025 after winning Uruguay’s presidential election as the Broad Front candidate, had previously been viewed as comparatively less hostile toward Israel than several other left-wing leaders in Latin America. Before becoming president, he visited Israel and Yad Vashem, and his election drew attention partly because of divisions over Israel within the Latin American left.
Uruguay suspended cooperation agreement with Hebrew University in 2025
Relations nevertheless faced new strains under his administration. In August 2025, Uruguay suspended a cooperation agreement with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, citing Israel’s planned operations in Gaza City. Israel’s Embassy in Uruguay criticized the decision at the time.
Uruguay’s Foreign Ministry has continued to formally support a two-state solution and maintains diplomatic relations with both Israel and the Palestinians. The ministry describes Uruguay-Israel diplomatic relations as uninterrupted since 1948 and notes that Uruguay was among the first countries to recognize the newly established State of Israel.
Antisemitic incident in Montevideo concerns Uruguay’s Jewish community
Political debate over Israel has also coincided with concerns among Uruguay’s Jewish community. In November 2025, two Jewish teenagers were chased and threatened in Montevideo in an incident that Jewish community representatives described as antisemitic. A 2026 study of Spanish-language social media also found that antisemitic online content remained above pre-October 7 levels, with Uruguay among the countries highlighted in the findings.
The Broad Front previously backed a similar Palestinian solidarity mobilization in 2025. Its latest resolution calls on Uruguay’s national government to remain active in international forums while formally bringing the country’s dominant political coalition into the October 8 demonstration.