Uruguay is losing its reputation as Latin America’s success story
Crime and corruption scandals have hurt Luis Lacalle Pou, the conservative president
Squeezed between politically polarised Brazil and economically dysfunctional Argentina, Uruguay looks like a model country. More than 95% of its electricity comes from sun, wind, water and biofuels. Same-sex couples can get married. Residents can buy cannabis from pharmacies. In international comparisons Uruguay ranks as South America’s most peaceful and least corrupt country. Other leaders skulk in palaces; Uruguay’s president, Luis Lacalle Pou, works from a glass office, overlooked by a block of flats.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Losing its sheen”
From the April 15th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from The Americas
Can Brazil’s left survive without Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva?
Brazil’s current president, a titan of the Latin American left, has no apparent heirs
Donald Trump is targeting Mexico like no other country
The United States’ southern neighbour is bracing for a wave of deportees and trapped migrants
The race to lead Canada’s Liberal Party hinges on handling Trump
Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland are the front-runners
Canada has adopted assisted dying faster than anywhere on Earth
The province of Quebec now allows those with deteriorating illnesses to request an assisted death in advance
Tether’s move to El Salvador is a win for President Nayib Bukele
Why the stablecoin firm has picked the Central American country for its headquarters
From Greenland to Panama and Mexico, leaders are in shock
As Donald Trump eyes fine new pieces of real estate in the Americas and beyond