Robert Silva García (born 7 March 1971) is a Uruguayan lawyer, teacher and politician of the Colorado Party (PC). From 2020 to 2023 he served as president of the Central Directive Council of the National Administration of Public Education.[1] He was the Colorado nominee for vice president in the 2019 and 2024 general election.
Robert Silva | |
|---|---|
 Silva in 2023 | |
| Senator of the Republic | |
| Assumed office 25 February 2025 | |
| President of the National Administration of Public Education | |
| In office 19 March 2020 – 26 October 2023 | |
| President | Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou |
| Preceded by | Wilson Netto |
| Succeeded by | Virginia Cáceres |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Silva García 7 March 1971 Tacuarembó, Uruguay |
| Political party | Colorado |
| Children |
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| Alma mater | University of the Republic |
| Occupation |
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Early life and education
editSilva García was born in Tacuarembó on March 7, the son of Neri Silva, a bar employee, and Martha García, a school teacher.[2] He has a brother, Romín.[3] He was raised in San Gregorio de Polanco where his mother taught in a rural school, living with his grandmother Eulalia Cuiliotti.[4]
He attended the San Javier Jesuit Catholic School after winning a scholarship, and the Liceo No. 1 of Tacuarembó.[5] In 1989 he moved to the capital Montevideo and enrolled at the University of the Republic, from which he obtained a law degree.[6]
In 2001 he qualified as a professor of administration and services at the Instituto Normal de Enseñanza Técnica, an educational center that trains technical teachers for the Work University of Uruguay (UTU).[7] A supporter of the Colorado Party, during his time at the university, Silva was one of the founders of Foro Universitario, a student union of Batllist ideology.[8]
Teaching career
editThroughout his career as an educator, Silva has been part of different education governing bodies. From 1996 to 1999 he served as general secretary of the Council of Secondary Education, and from 1999 to 2005, as general secretary of the Central Directive Council (CODICEN) of the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP).[9]
Political career
edit2019 vice-presidential campaign
editAfter winning the primary election over former president Julio María Sanguinetti and senator José Amorín Batlle in the 2019 Colorado presidential primaries, economist Ernesto Talvi announced Silva as his running mate.[10]
The announcement sparked controversy because Article 201 of the Constitution establishes that members of the boards of directors of autonomous entities and decentralized services who want to run for a parliamentary seat must leave their positions at least twelve months before the election.[11] At the time of the announcement, three months before the general election, Silva served as a councilor of the Central Directive Council (CODICEN) of the National Administration of Public Education, an autonomous entity.[12][13] Due to this issue, a consultation was carried out with the Electoral Court, so that it could interpret the Constitution and decide if the Vice President is a legislator more likely to be included in the restriction of Article 201.[14]
At the end of July, the Electoral Court approved by six votes in nine the authorization of Silva to run for the vice presidency.[15] In the October general election, the Talvi-Silva ticket came in third place with 12.80% of the vote.[16]
2024 presidential and vice-presidential campaigns
editIn mid-2023, speculation began that Silva could be a pre-candidate for President in the 2024 presidential primaries for the Ciudadanos sector of the Colorado Party.[17] In September, Senator Adrián Peña, who was also speculated to be able to run in the Colorado primaries for the same sector, announced that he would not run.[18] On September 15, the Open Batllismo sector led by Representative Ope Pasquet became the first to officially support Silva's candidacy.[19]
On October 2, Representatives Felipe Schipani, María Eugenia Roselló and Sebastián Sanguinetti endorsed Silva for President.[20] In addition, they publicly urged him to resign from his position in the National Administration of Public Education in order to run for the Senate and President.[21] Days later, the entire Ciudadanos sector announced support for Silva's candidacy.[22]
On October 26, Silva resigned from the position of President of the National Public Education Administration to carry out his campaign.[23] He was succeeded by Colorado lawyer Virginia Cáceres Batalla, who became the first woman to hold the position.[24] On November 7, 2023, Silva officially launched his candidacy, as part of the Crece platform, made up mainly of members of Ciudadanos and other sectors of the party.[25]
In late November 2023, he was polling at about 30% in the Colorado primary opinion polls.[26] In the Colorado Party primary election on June 30, 2024, Silva obtained 22.4% of the vote, placing second behind Andrés Ojeda who was elected the party's candidate for that year's general election.[27] The following day, he was announced as Ojeda's running mate and vice presidential candidate.[28]
In the general election, the Colorado ticket finished in third place with 16.07% of the vote.[29] Silva was elected to the Senate for the 50th Legislature.[30]
References
edit- ^ "Robert Silva dejó el Codicen: pandemia, amores y odios por cambios curriculares y el vínculo con la política partidaria". la diaria (in Spanish). 2023-10-28. Archived from the original on 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ Voces, Semanario (2019-07-08). "Robert Silva: Las ideas son buenas o son malas, con independencia de donde vengan". Semanario Voces (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Criado en una escuela rural del norte, el discípulo de Rama encara otra reforma educativa". Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Educación, educación, educación". Canal-M. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ BUSQUEDA, Semanario. "Entrevista a Robert Silva". BUSQUEDA (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Robert Silva asumió como presidente del Codicen de Anep". Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Silva: "La absurda acusación sobre mi formación está a la altura del enchastre a mi hogar"". Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Varios grupos colorados apoyan la precandidatura presidencial de Robert Silva que este domingo estará en Maldonado". www.fmgente.com.uy (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Colorado, Partido (2022-09-29). "Robert Silva: criado en una escuela rural del norte, el discípulo de Rama encara otra reforma educativa". Partido Colorado (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Se cierra otra fórmula: Talvi ofreció la vicepresidencia a Robert Silva, integrante del Codicen". subrayado.com.uy (in Spanish). 2019-07-07. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Redacción. "¿Puede Silva ser candidato a vice? Esto dicen los constitucionalistas". El Observador. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Redacción. "Robert Silva ya renunció al Codicen y espera habilitación para ser candidato a vice". El Observador. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Quiénes somos | Uruguay Educa". uruguayeduca.anep.edu.uy. Archived from the original on 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Redacción. "Sin un plan b, Talvi espera respuesta de la Corte sobre candidatura de Silva". El Observador. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Redacción. "Corte Electoral habilitó candidatura de Robert Silva para la vicepresidencia". El Observador. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Otros. "¿En cuáles y cuántas localidades ganó cada partido? Mirá el mapa pueblo a pueblo". El Observador. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ diaria, la (2023-09-17). "Tras la baja de Adrián Peña, "está todo encaminado" para que Robert Silva sea el precandidato de Ciudadanos". la diaria (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Adrián Peña no será candidato en internas del Partido Colorado y dijo que respeldará a Robert Silva". subrayado.com.uy (in Spanish). 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Batllismo Abierto, agrupación de Ope Pasquet, impulsa la candidatura de Robert Silva a la presidencia". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 2023-09-16. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Lista 1600 del Partido Colorado apoya precandidatura de Robert Silva". subrayado.com.uy (in Spanish). 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Agrupación colorada pide a Robert Silva que renuncie al Codicen para lanzar su precandidatura". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ Redacción. "Ciudadanos anunció su apoyo a la precandidatura de Robert Silva en las internas coloradas". El Observador. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Robert Silva dejó el Codicen para dedicarse a la política". Telenoche (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Virginia Cáceres Batalla, la joven abogada colorada que tomará las riendas de ANEP tras la renuncia de Silva". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Con pasión y cicatrices, Robert Silva lanzó anoche su precandidatura por el Partido Colorado". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ Redacción. "Orsi y Delgado lideran sus internas por más de 20 puntos, según encuesta de Opción". El Observador. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ "Andrés Ojeda gana, asume el liderazgo del Partido Colorado y marca sus diferencias con Álvaro Delgado". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "Se definió la fórmula del Partido Colorado: Andrés Ojeda lleva de vice a Robert Silva". subrayado.com.uy (in Spanish). 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "Ojeda hizo crecer al Partido Colorado, quedó lejos del balotaje pero reclamó el "cogobierno" de la coalición". El Observador (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "Estos son los senadores confirmados por partido y por lista, así quedó conformada la Cámara Alta". subrayado.com.uy (in Spanish). 2024-10-28. Retrieved 2024-11-12.