After dominating national politics for 160 years, Uruguay's traditional Colorado and National parties face defeat in tomorrow's presidential elections at the hands of Mr Tabare Vazquez, candidate for the leftwing Frente Amplio (FA), or Broad Front coalition.
Mr Vazquez, backed by a coalition which includes former Tupamaro guerrillas, is predicted to win 38 per cent of the vote, well ahead of the ruling Colorado Party candidate, Mr Jorge Battle, who is on just 26 per cent. The two highest-polling candidates will compete in a run-off on November 28th.
The Broad Front closed its campaign in Montevideo on Wednesday evening, attracting 400,000 people, almost one-third of the city's population. Mr Vazquez promised he would place "the economy at the service of the people" and stem rising unemployment.
The former president, Mr Luis Alberto Lacalle, candidate for the third-placed National Party, addressed 50,000 supporters at his final rally, calling on the country to vote for "the defender of law and custodian of national essences" against "the ideas of anarchy".
Mr Battle, for the Colorado Party, also aimed his closing comments at the Front, criticising the movement as "a beachhead for Marxist-Leninist ideas".
The two traditional parties have co-ordinated a negative campaign against Mr Vazquez and will combine against him in the likely run-off. But this campaign appears to have backfired. The Front continues to increase its projected vote, with pollsters giving Mr Vazquez a chance of squeezing out his rival in the second round.
Uruguay has a relatively high per capita income (£4,737) with low inflation and a more gradual privatisation pattern than neighbouring Argentina. Over 70 per cent of voters rejected the proposal to sell off all state companies in a 1992 referendum.
Even if the Front loses the presidential race it will still become the single strongest force in parliament.
If it wins the presidency, Mr Vazquez has promised to provide social welfare payments to the unemployed, raising the finance by cutting back on military and police spending.