His Excellency Julio Maria Sanguinetti, former President of Uruguay, was honored with an Honorary Doctorate on June 2, in a ceremony at the Mertens Theater in the Arnold Bernhard Center.

His Excellency served as President of Uruguay from 1985 to 1990, and again from 1995 to 2000. In the 1960s he worked for reforms in the Colorado Party of Uruguay and became the Minister of Industry and Commerce in 1969 and then the Minister of Education and Culture in 1972.

In 1983 he was elected as General Secretary of the Colorado Party and was a driving force in securing the return of Uruguay to its proud tradition of democracy. In 1984 he was elected President of the Republic of Uruguay with the highest percentage of votes cast since 1926. His administration was characterized by a progressive spirit, a respect for human rights, the consolidation of democracy and the economical reorganization of the country.

Again he was elected President in 1994, the third president to be re-elected in the history of the country and the first to be re-elected by direct vote. He is a journalist, editor and publisher, as well as a leader in promoting arts and culture.