Americas Quarterly Delves into Uruguay's Valuable Lessons for Latin America

New York, January 31, 2023—“Uruguay has enjoyed so much success in recent years that it’s tempting to dismiss it as an outlier—too small, and too unique, to possibly be replicated elsewhere,” write Americas Quarterly (AQ) editors in the magazine’s new issue, focusing on Uruguay. “But in fact, Uruguay’s story is far more ‘relatable’ than outsiders might expect.” 

According to AQ, Uruguay’s GDP may grow 3 percent in 2023—double the region’s average. It is attracting record numbers of expatriates, and the country is free of the protests and political instability shaking places like Brazil and Peru. “Of course, Uruguay isn’t perfect…The pace of life, and politics, can be frustrating—reforms often take years. Given what’s happening elsewhere these days, being predictable, and even a little boring, seem like good problems to have," editors write. 

In the latest issue’s cover story, Brian Winter provides a detailed analysis of Uruguay, in many ways, as a model for Latin America through a robust social safety net, institutions that are accessible to the public, and a lasting civility in Uruguayan politics. He also discusses the country’s faults, including a homicide rate almost double that of Argentina or Chile, a low rate of students graduating from high school, and a recent corruption scandal involving President Luis Lacalle Pou’s administration.  Khalea Robertson and Emilie Sweigart present "Uruguay in Numbers,” with key indicators charting the country’s governance, economy, and society. Eric Farnsworth looks at why Uruguay is important for global trade. In “Uruguay Shows the Power of a Sense of Security,” Susan Segal emphasizes that people want to feel secure, and Uruguay is leading the way with its social safety net. 

Also in this issue: 

• Elections 2023: Americas Quarterly overviews presidential candidates in Paraguay, Guatemala, and Argentina. 

• AQ Q&A: Enzo Romero, the Founder and CEO of LAT Bionics, explains how Star Wars inspired him to make affordable prostheses.  

• Fernando Reimers outlines how the pandemic’s effect on education continues, especially for poor communities in Latin America. 

The full issue is available at americasquarterly.org. View the PDF. 

To request interviews with the authors, or to request publication permission, please contact AS/COA Media Relations at mediarelations@as-coa.org.