Lucía Topolansky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucía Topolansky
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Topolansky in 2023
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| 17th Vice President of Uruguay | |
| In office 13 September 2017 – 1 March 2020 |
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| President | Tabaré Vázquez |
| Preceded by | Raúl Sendic |
| Succeeded by | Beatriz Argimón |
| First Lady of Uruguay | |
| In role 1 March 2010 – 1 March 2015 |
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| President | José Mujica |
| Preceded by | María Auxiliadora Delgado |
| Succeeded by | María Auxiliadora Delgado |
| Senator of Uruguay | |
| In office 15 February 2005 – 12 September 2017 |
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| Constituency | At-large |
| Representative of Uruguay | |
| In office 15 February 2000 – 14 February 2005 |
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| Constituency | Montevideo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lucía Topolansky Saavedra
25 September 1944 Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Political party | Movement of Popular Participation |
| Other political affiliations |
Broad Front |
| Spouse | |
| Parents | Luis Topolansky María Elia Saavedra |
Lucía Topolansky Saavedra (born 25 September 1944) is a well-known politician from Uruguay. She made history as the 17th Vice President of Uruguay, serving from September 2017 to March 2020. She was the first woman to hold this important position.
Lucía Topolansky is a member of the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP) political party, which is part of a larger group called the Broad Front. Before becoming Vice President, she was a Senator and a National Representative. She also served as the First Lady of Uruguay when her husband, José Mujica, was president from 2010 to 2015.
She joined a political group called the Tupamaros in 1969. After a period of political change in Uruguay, she was released from prison in 1985. She then helped start the MPP, which began her long political career.
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Growing Up: Lucía Topolansky's Childhood
Lucía Topolansky was born on 25 September 1944 in Montevideo, Uruguay. She has a twin sister named María Elia. They were the youngest of seven children. Her father, Luis Topolansky Müller, was a civil engineer and businessman. Her mother was María Elia Saavedra Rodríguez.
Her family had roots in Poland. Her father was born in Budapest and studied in Vienna before moving to Uruguay for his work. Her mother's family, the Saavedras, were also from a well-known background.
Lucía grew up in different neighborhoods of Montevideo. Her family later moved to Punta del Este. However, they returned to Montevideo when her father's business faced problems. This happened because the Uruguayan government had disagreements with the president of Argentina at the time.
Back in Montevideo, her father became very ill. This made things financially tough for the family. They relied on her grandfather, Enrique Saavedra Barrozo, who was a Justice of the Peace. He helped pay for their education.
Lucía and her twin sister went to the College Sacré Cœur in Montevideo. Later, she attended the Alfredo Vásquez Acevedo Institute. She was active in student groups there. She also studied architecture at the University of the Republic but left in 1969.
Early Activism and Challenges
In 1967, after being involved in political activities for some years, Lucía Topolansky joined a left-wing group called the Tupamaros. This group was involved in political actions against the government in Uruguay.
After a major political change in 1973, when a military government took power, Lucía was arrested. She was held in a military prison during this difficult time. While she was with this group, she met José Mujica. He later became the President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. She also became connected with the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP).
Lucía Topolansky's Political Career
Lucía Topolansky began her official political career as a Representative for Montevideo. She held this position from 2000 to 2005. After that, she became a Senator.
In the 2009 election, she received the most votes for Senator. She was a leading figure for her political group. She was even considered as a possible running mate for Tabaré Vázquez in the 2014 presidential elections.
Becoming Acting President
On 26 November 2010, Lucía Topolansky made history. Both President Mujica and Vice-President Danilo Astori were out of the country. Because of this, she became the Acting President of Uruguay. This made her the first woman to temporarily hold the highest office in Uruguay.
Her time as acting president was short. It lasted until 28 November 2010, when Vice President Astori returned. This happened because of a rule in Uruguay's Constitution. It says that if both the President and Vice President are away, the leader of the largest elected group in the Senate takes over.
Serving as Vice President
In September 2017, Lucía Topolansky became the Vice President of Uruguay. This happened after the previous Vice President, Raúl Fernando Sendic, resigned. She was chosen because she was the senator with the second-highest number of votes from the winning party. The senator with the most votes, her husband José Mujica, could not take the job because he had already served as President.
See Also
In Spanish: Lucía Topolansky para niños
- Politics of Uruguay
- List of political families#Uruguay
