In July 2018, Alonso announced her presidential pre-candidacy for the 2019 presidential primaries.[6] However, on April 8, 2019, she withdrew her candidacy to support the nomination of businessman Juan Sartori,[7] stating "we are going to define the intern of the National Party."[8] Ultimately, Lacalle Pou defeated Sartori in the presidencial primaries, and was the candidate of the PN in the 2019 general election.[9] Alonso ran for reelection as Senator, but was not elected.[10]
In July 2020, Alonso claimed in an interview that she had been wrong to support Juan Sartori's nomination, stating "I made a wrong decision, but I can't turn back time."[11] As a consequence, Sartori's supporter faction reported that Alonso had been "excluded" from it.[12]
Private life
Alonso married Marcel Gerwer in 2000 and they have three daughters: Camila, Delfina and Violeta.[13][14] She was raised as a Catholic but converted to Judaism at the time of her marriage.[15]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay, a hotel owned by her family let rooms at $7 a day, with fees paid by the state to provide homeless people with a place to stay.[16] The Hotel Urban Express is owned by her husband's family and is normally charged at $45 a night. It was noted that other hotels had refused to allow homeless individuals to use their facilities, and at $7 a night, the hotel would not cover its costs. Critics were told that $7 a night was not a charge, but virtually a donation.[17]
