URUGUAY: Black v. White Bread

Over every coffee table—from the politicos' favorite Tupi-Namba café on Montevideo's palm-graced Plaza Independencia to the café in the Hotel Oriental in cattle-raising Treinta y Tres—the talk was of elections. On Nov. 24, Uruguayans would vote for everything from dog-catcher to President.

As usual, the complexities of a Uruguayan election were enough to make even a Frenchman's head swim. The predominant; Colorado (Red) Party—liberal, democratic, and international—was split into four groups, each with its own presidential aspirant. The leader of the Batllista faction, suntanned ex-farmer Tomás Berreta, 70, had the best...