Lorena Ponce de León

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ponce de León and the second or maternal family name is Núñez.

Lorena Ponce de León
Ponce de León in 2021
First Lady of Uruguay
In role 1 March 2020 – 17 June 2024 Suspended: 22 May 2022 – 17 June 2024
President	Luis Lacalle Pou
Preceded by	María Auxiliadora Delgado (2019)
Succeeded by	Vacant
Personal details
Born	Lorena Ponce de León Núñez (1976-10-06) 6 October 1976 (age 48) Montevideo, Uruguay
Political party	National Party
Spouse	Luis Lacalle Pou ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2024)​
Children	3

Lorena Ponce de León Núñez (born 6 October 1976) is an Uruguayan landscape architect. She was the wife of Luis Lacalle Pou, who serves as the 42nd president of Uruguay.

Early life and education

She was born on 6 October 1976[1] in Montevideo, as the daughter of a Batllist mother and a father with little connection to politics.[2] She was raised in La Blanqueada, Montevideo, where she lived until being 9 years old, and then she moved with her parents to Carrasco. She attended the German School and the Scuola Italiana.[3]

She graduated from Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Universidad de la Empresa with a Forest Technician degree. She also studied Forest Technician at the Professor Julio Muñoz School of Gardening.[3] She graduated from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Universidad de la Empresa as a Forestry Technician and studied Forestry Technician at the School of Gardening Prof. Julio E. Muñoz.[4]

Jobs in Uruguay

Sembrando Program

In March 2020, she launched Sembrando, a program that aims to support entrepreneurs after the health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.[5] The program makes it possible to consult with experts in the area and helps to connect entrepreneurs with institutions related to the topic of their entrepreneurship.[6][7] She herself reported on April 7 that 1,460 people had signed up.[8]

Personal life

Ponce de León is a hockey player.[2] In November 1989, Ponce de León met with Luis Lacalle Pou at a youth gathering to celebrate the victory of Lacalle Pou's father Luis Lacalle Herrera as President of Uruguay.[2] Ten years later, they met again and began dating.[9] They were married in 2000, in a service conducted by Daniel Sturla in the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral.[10] Together, they have three children: Luis Alberto, Violeta and Manuel. Luis and Violeta are the first twins born by IVF in Uruguay.[2]

On 6 May 2022, she announced the separation from her husband.[11][12] The couple divorced in June 2024.[13]

References

1. "Luis Lacalle Pou al Frente Amplio: "No vale cambiar porque hay olor a urna y fracaso"". 2019.com.uy (in Spanish). 2019-10-06. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
2. Observador, El. "Lorena Ponce de León, una primera dama a la que su esposo le contagió la militancia". El Observador. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
3. El País (28 November 2019). "Confesiones de la futura primera dama: "Me imagino recorriendo el país y siendo un nexo"" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-05-02.
4. "Confesiones de la futura primera dama: "Me imagino recorriendo el país y siendo un nexo" - Información - 28/11/2019 - EL PAÍS Uruguay". 2022-05-06. Archived from the original on 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
5. "Lorena Ponce de León implusó un programa para ayudar a emprendedores". 970 Universal (in Spanish). 2020-03-30. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
6. ElPais (30 March 2020). "Lorena Ponce de León lanza programa para asistir a emprendedores afectados por COVID-19". Diario EL PAIS Uruguay (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-05-02.
7. "El proyecto para potenciar emprendedores de Lorena Ponce de León lanza consultas con expertos en línea". Teledoce.com (in Spanish). 30 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
8. ElPais (8 April 2020). "Plan a emprendedores de "Loli" reunió 1.460 personas; "hasta una cantante de cumbia nos llamó", contó". Diario EL PAIS Uruguay (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-05-02.
9. "The possible First Ladies of Uruguay". YouTube.
10. Observador, El. "El vínculo Lacalle-Sturla y la nueva visibilidad de la Iglesia Católica". El Observador. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
11. "Uruguayan president and wife to separate, local media reports". MercoPress. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
12. "El presidente de Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, se separó de su esposa Lorena Ponce de León". LA NACION (in Spanish). 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
13. "Luis Lacalle Pou y Lorena Ponce de León culminaron proceso judicial y ya están oficialmente divorciados". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-06-18.

External links

• Lorena Ponce de León on Instagram
• Lorena Ponce de León on Twitter