We live in a time when narratives about entire regions are too easily reduced to soundbites. Latin America often gets painted with a single brushstroke, as if "everything below the southern border" could be explained by one stereotype. I hear the phrase often: "Latin America is 10–15 years behind." It usually comes from well-meaning people, but it reveals more about the echo chamber of perception than about the region itself.
Lately I've been prone to push back on incomplete narratives — not to denounce ignorance, but as my attempt to provide perspective. As 1 Thessalonians 5:21 reminds us, "Test everything; hold fast what is good," so filter out what doesn't serve you — and take what is good from my two cents on this matter.
If I had a penny for every time I heard the "10–15 years behind" line … well, I might have enough to pay for my upcoming naturalization fee. JK! It would probably only get me a doppio at Peet's Coffee!
Jokes aside, the sad reality is that many still compare Latin America to the lowest-income, most vulnerable neighborhoods they see in the U.S. That might be what they have access to — but it couldn't be further from the truth.
Uruguay as a case study
Take Uruguay, for example — my home country:
Ranked among the world's top democracies (Economist Democracy Index 2023 placed Uruguay 13th worldwide, ahead of the U.S. at 29th).
98% literacy rate, with free public education for over a century.
First country to give every public-school child a laptop (2007) through Plan Ceibal — with a GDP per capita almost 4× lower than the U.S. at the time.
Over 90% of electricity from renewables (wind, hydro, solar, biomass), a global model studied by the IEA.
Social reforms — from marriage equality to cannabis legalization — that came earlier than in most of the West.
Recognized the State of Palestine (2013) — while many Western nations are still debating it 10–15 years later (see the irony?).
One of the most peaceful and least corrupt societies in the Americas — ranked 50th in the Global Peace Index (2024), compared to the U.S. at 132nd. Transparency International consistently places Uruguay among the cleanest governments in the region.
Today's example
And today, that same legacy was on display. I'm so proud of my president. I didn't vote for him, and I hold my political opinions about him. But when he stood in front of the world this morning, he didn't complain about the teleprompter. He stuttered a little (public speaking is not his strong suit), yet — to no one's surprise — he chose not to play to the pressures of his base. Instead, he represented the entire nation.
He called for peace, quoting the Global Peace Index on military spending. He proposed multilateralism as the only sustainable path to peace — reminding the world that small nations depend on collaboration, not domination. He condemned terrorism as cowardice, rejected practices that sow terror among civilians, and called for an immediate suspension of operations in the Middle East, the release of hostages, and a renewed push for the two-state solution. (You can watch his full remarks on UN Web TV).
And he reminded the world of Uruguay's track record:
35 years of continuous participation in UN peacekeeping missions.
A tradition of respecting international law and arbitration.
Institutions strong enough to hold together a small but resilient democracy.
That's leadership. Imperfect, unpolished, but rooted in conviction. And I couldn't be prouder that today he chose to embody the voice of Uruguay in front of the nations.
Perspective from the periphery
It takes stepping outside the echo chamber to see the world from a different gravitational center than the one we're used to. Sometimes the periphery is where perspective can be found.
I want to close as Orsi did in front of the nations, by paraphrasing another Uruguayan President I didn't fully agree with during his time in office, José Mujica: we owe tolerance to the people we disagree with, not to the people we already agree with — because tolerance, and the willingness to recognize how different we all are, is what makes peaceful coexistence possible in the first place.
So, if you are listening… tolerate, and maybe even try to love, your enemies.