As Uruguay Fights Crime, It Battles To Retain Its "Democratic Soul"

As Uruguay Fights Crime, It Battles to Retain Its ‘Democratic Soul’ URUGUAY Uruguay For years, Uruguay stood out in the region for failing to make headlines. Its voters chose center “safe” politics. Crime remained low. The economy was stable. Moderation was a key value. More recently, however, things have begun to take a turn, particularly regarding security, as increased drug trafficking, organized crime and economic jitters have compelled many Uruguayans to call for more drastic action. Crime in Uruguay remains relatively low for Latin America but left-wing Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi has been responding to the situation by channeling right-wing populist Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, who has imprisoned tens of thousands of alleged drug lords, gang leaders, thieves and murderers in a bid to clean up his nation. But in moderate, cautious Uruguay, where many remember the cruelty of the authoritarian government that ran the country from 1973 to 1985, that is a problem, analysts say. They add that the challenge for Orsi, unlike Bukele, is to secure the country while upholding civil liberties and protecting Uruguay’s “proud left-wing democracy.” “The question is whether those answers will help tear down democracy or build up the rule of law,” wrote Benjamin N. Gedan, deputy director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American program, in Foreign Policy. Uruguay’s institutions may offer some protection, he added: “… the failure, so far, of ‘Bukelismo’ to take hold in Uruguay is also a vote of confidence in the capacity of the country’s democratic institutions to step up to the challenge of organized crime.” That is the institutional test. The political pressure is more immediate. A recent poll showed crime dominating public concern, with 49 percent of Uruguayans calling it the country’s top problem, far ahead of unemployment at 29 percent. Although still below the 64 percent peak recorded in August 2024, that figure has risen lately, while voters have grown less satisfied with the government’s response. Orsi’s popularity has dropped from 41 percent to 36 percent since he assumed office a year ago. Orsi has tried to show he is responding. He has proposed creating a Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, reforming the criminal code to strengthen security, hiring more police and prison guards, and installing 20,000 surveillance devices to help catch criminals, wrote MercoPress. The government says that crime declined in 2025, including a slight decrease in homicides – 369 for the year compared to 382 in 2024. Progress was less clear on the economy, however. Wages rose by less than 2 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, employment remained level but didn’t necessarily count recent large-scale business restructurings, and poverty remained level at around 18 percent. Fuel prices are also increasing due to market instability stemming from the US-Israeli war against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As he has struggled domestically, Orsi’s international policy has remained distinctly left-wing. His political coalition, Frente Amplio, recently condemned US President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance toward Cuba, for example. The country is also seeking to reduce the amount of debt it holds in US dollars. Instead, Orsi is seeking to issue debt in the country’s peso while trying to boost beef, soybean and other exports to China and other big buyers. Orsi signed a series of economic agreements with China last year. Orsi’s success or failure in tackling issues within his country will likely determine whether he can continue those diplomatic policies, analysts say. Meanwhile, Uruguayans say that they want things to change sooner rather than later. “On the streets, ordinary Uruguayans say life feels more precarious: more visible homelessness, more petty theft, more open drug consumption, and more scattered but spectacular acts of violence,” wrote the Latin American Post. “For a society that has long seen itself as calm and orderly, this was a jarring reminder that past success offers no protection.”