Ponce de León holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He is a faculty member in the Communication program and the School of Administration and Social Sciences at ORT. He works as a communications advisor: during the election campaign, he was part of Luis Lacalle Pou’s team, who was elected president in November 2019.
During the transition period, Lacalle Pou announced that he intended to “revamp communications,” and to that end he created the position of presidential spokesperson, which will be filled by Ponce de León, who will also serve as director of the Presidential Communications Secretariat.
He explained that the main objective of creating this position is “to establish an official channel of information regarding the activities and certain issues inherent to the work of the Office of the President.” The idea is “to convey, inform, describe, and eventually explain the actions the government decides to take in the course of carrying out its duties.” At the same time, the goal will be “to anticipate issues or potential problems that could impact public opinion and, in such cases, always recommend a professional approach to communications.”
The need being addressed is to establish an official voice that, drawing on specific professional expertise in institutional communication, can create a framework for engaging with the public—particularly through the mass media—and, through communication, help convey the government’s key objectives in various areas.
Ponce de León added that this role will also aim to help prevent different stakeholders from issuing unrelated or conflicting messages on the same issue.
When asked about the skills needed to serve as a spokesperson, the professional recommended studying and staying up to date on the books that have been written on these topics. In short: the ability to synthesize information, simplify seemingly complex issues, remain calm and composed in difficult situations, thoroughly research all aspects of a given topic before speaking out, absorb large amounts of information to convey it simply and effectively, understand journalistic requirements, show empathy toward affected audiences during crises, and maintain a professional and respectful relationship with the media.