Orsi wins Uruguay presidency race

Center-left opposition candidate Yamandu Orsi secured victory in Uruguay's presidential election, official results showed, with 99% of votes tallied, in a second-round race that pollsters expected to be closely fought.

Orsi, the pre-election favorite by a few points, secured a small but comfortable margin of 49.81% of the vote to conservative Alvaro Delgado's 45.90%, official results showed.

"I am going to be the president who builds a more integrated society," Orsi said as he addressed thousands of his Broad Front party supporters in Montevideo, who had gathered by a stage overlooking the capital city's waterfront to await the results.

Orsi, a 57-year-old former mayor of Canelones - which has lured in firms such as Google - has said he would avoid raising taxes that could scare off business and instead focus on attracting investors, spurring growth and skilling workers.

He has also signaled closer cooperation with Europe on fighting drug trafficking and more funding for the prison system.

His victory was celebrated by the regional Organization of American States and fellow Latin American nations across the political aisle.

Both Delgado and Uruguay's president, fellow National Party member Luis Lacalle Pou, conceded the election, swiftly congratulating Orsi and offering to help with the transition after results signaled a victory for the center-left.

The election between two moderates in the small nation of 3.4 million people, known for its beaches, legalized marijuana and stability, marks the closing of a bumper year for global elections - many that suffered from bitter political divides.

Orsi, Delgado and Lacalle Pou all expressed goodwill for their political opposition and pledged to work together to move the country forward.