Every cruise that starts or ends or even goes through Buenos Aires, inevitably also stops in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. That may seem redundant because Montevideo is just across the delta from Buenos Aires, a mere 150 miles. But there are many reasons everyone should visit Montevideo based on what Uruguay has created for itself…an example that might be as close to Utopia as any on earth.
Uruguay, despite being one of South America’s smallest countries, stands out for several distinctive features. Uruguay is often cited as a model for progressive governance and sustainable development in Latin America, balancing social welfare with economic growth while maintaining democratic values. Isn’t that what we should all aspire to create for our and future generations? I know that most of my readers will assume that is political commentary by me, but I wonder if that needs to be so. Maybe if we can ignore the labels that act as flashpoints in our tribal world, we can just think about a small and otherwise insignificant place like Uruguay based solely on the merits of what it has created for its people. Let’s enumerate them.
In terms of progressive social policies, Uruguay was the first country in the world to fully legalize and regulate marijuana (2013). It was an early adopter of same-sex marriage (2013), is an advocate of strong LGBTQ+ rights protections and comprehensive abortion rights legislation. And perhaps most importantly, it is a secular state with complete separation of church and state…just like the United States has always intended to be.
As for political stability, it is consistently ranked as one of Latin America’s most democratic nations with low corruption levels compared to regional neighbors, a history of peaceful transitions of power between different political parties, and strong democratic institutions and civil liberties.
That’s all well and good, but as James Carville likes to say, “it’s all about the economy, stupid!”. Well, in terms of economic characteristics, it has high-quality beef exports, which are renowned in global markets, a thriving wine industry (especially Tannat wines), a strong agricultural sector, including wool, rice, and soybeans, a developing tech sector and software exports, and sustainable energy leadership (nearly 98% of electricity comes from renewable sources). It is an environmental steward with its leadership in renewable energy in Latin America, protected coastal areas and wildlife reserves and strong environmental legislation and conservation efforts.
As for quality of life in Uruguay, it has the highest per capita income in South America, a Universal healthcare system, free public education through university level, a strong middle class with relatively low income inequality for the region, and high literacy rates (98%). It is a tourism magnet for the region with pristine Atlantic beaches, especially in Punta del Este (the Hamptons of Latin America), historic Colonia del Sacramento (UNESCO World Heritage Site), a vibrant capital city of Montevideo with colonial architecture, Gaucho culture and rural estancia (ranch) tourism and thermal springs in the northwest region. Its cultural contributions include a passionate football (soccer) tradition with two World Cup victories (1930, 1950), the Candombe music and dance traditions (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), a Tango heritage shared with Argentina, a Mate tea culture (consuming the highest amount per capita in the world), and an annual Carnival celebration that is one of the longest-running in the world.
This all makes me wonder how Uruguay came to be such a fine country. The territory of present-day Uruguay was inhabited by indigenous peoples, primarily the Charrúa, Minuane, and Guaraní. The Charrúa were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers who fiercely resisted European colonization. Unlike other regions of South America, Uruguay had no major pre-Columbian civilizations (like the Incas or Aztecs) or large settlements. In 1516, Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solís was the first European to reach the region, landing at what is now Montevideo Bay. Accordingly, the Spanish established Colonia del Sacramento in 1680, but Portugal seized it shortly after, beginning a period of territorial disputes. Remember that the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, split the world between Spain and Portugal and that longitudinal dividing line went pretty much through Uruguay. Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold to counter Portuguese expansion and the Banda Oriental (Eastern Bank), as Uruguay was then known, became part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776. As the Independence Movement spread across Latin America, in 1811, José Gervasio Artigas led a successful revolt against Spanish rule, inspired by events of the May Revolution in Buenos Aires. Artigas, now considered the national hero of Uruguay, developed the first agrarian reform plan in Latin America (setting Uruguay onto a more enlightened path from the get-go). But then, in 1816, Portuguese forces from Brazil invaded and annexed the Banda Oriental. After Brazil gained independence in 1822, the Banda Oriental became a Brazilian province called Cisplatina. Being quite distant from the Brazilian hub in Rio de Janeiro, A group called the Thirty-Three Orientals, led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja, launched a liberation campaign in 1825. With support from the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (Argentina), they declared independence, setting the stage for a long-term alliance with big-brother Argentina. After the Argentina-Brazil War (1825-1828), the Treaty of Montevideo established Uruguay as an independent buffer state in 1828. The first constitution was adopted in 1830, and Fructuoso Rivera became the first president. Perhaps this “Monkey-in-the-Middle” role led to a more enlightened perspective about life.
Uruguay’s early history as a republic was marked by civil wars between the two main political factions: the Colorados (liberals, led by Rivera) and the Blancos (conservatives, led by Manuel Oribe). But the Guerra Grande (Great War) from 1839 to 1851 involved Argentina, Brazil, and European powers saw Montevideo under siege for nine years followed by more political instability with frequent coups and revolts until the late Nineteenth Century. Finally, under militarist Lorenzo Latorre (1876-1880), Uruguay began modernizing. Rural properties were fenced with the introduction of wire fencing, railroad networks expanded, public education reforms were implemented, telegraph lines were established, and that was just the physical infrastructure. José Batlle y Ordóñez, president during 1903-1907 and 1911-1915, transformed Uruguay with progressive reforms including institutionalizing the separation of church and state, establishing workers’ rights and the eight-hour workday, establishing women’s rights, welfare programs and state enterprises including free public education. Uruguay developed one of the earliest welfare states in the world. The country became known for its democratic stability and social progress. Uruguay even enjoyed economic prosperity during the World Wars by supplying food to Europe.
But even paradise gets messy…and economic decline in the 1950s led to increasing social unrest with the leftist urban guerrilla group Tupamaros forming in the early 1960s, which led to President Juan María Bordaberry, with military support, dissolved Parliament and established a dictatorship. That was a dark period with the usual array of political repressions, imprisonments, torture, and “disappearances” of opponents. But democracy was restored in 1985 with the election of Julio María Sanguinetti. Rather than revenge, the country granted amnesty to military officials involved in human rights abuses and in 2005, Tabaré Vázquez became the first left-wing president in Uruguay’s history, representing the Broad Front coalition. José Mujica, a former Tupamaro guerrilla who spent 14 years in prison, served as president from 2010 to 2015, and that led to the progressive reforms that characterize the Utopian state I started out describing. Uruguay’s history reflects a nation that, despite its small size, has often been at the forefront of social and political innovation in Latin America, earning it nicknames like “the Switzerland of South America” and “the Athens of the River Plate.” Not a bad role model for us all to consider when redefining our American future.