Uruguay's president-elect Yamandu Orsi reiterated his controversial position on Venezuela during a press conference on Wednesday, saying his country must respect diplomatic relations in place and breaking precedent for recent leaders of the small South American nation.

The candidate of the conservative coalition that has governed for the past five years conceded defeat after a tight runoff, as Uruguay joined others around the world in rebuking the incumbent party in a year of landmark elections.

Left-wing candidate Yamandu Orsi from the Broad Front coalition wins Uruguay's presidential election in a second-round run-off vote against Alvaro Delgado of the National Party on Sunday. His triumph marks a return to power for the Broad Front coalition after five years of a conservative government.

Uruguayans are returning to the polls for a second round of voting to choose their next president. In Sunday's election, the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote.

Left-wing politician Yamandu Orsi was elected president of Uruguay, official results showed on Sunday, in a rebuke by voters of five years of conservative rule.

Like many of his fellow Latin American leaders, Uruguay’s new president-elect is left-wing. But Yamandu Orsi, who narrowly won a runoff election on Sunday, stands out in at least one way: He has never attacked Israel.