Montevideo - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Uruguay is a pretty homogeneous country and it can be difficult for people of color. - Nov 2021
Montevideo is a very, very white place compared to the rest of South America. There are black people in Montevideo but you will almost never see them in high ranking jobs or positions. Most of them live in a neighborhood near the US Embassy and blackness is only celebrated during Carnival but even that is kind of 'whitewashed'. Nobody ever did anything overtly prejudicial against me; however, there is some prejudice that will be denied if you ever brought it up to a local. I was often followed in stores and stared at, and since there weren't very many American black people around, I was often recognized when I went out and it was slightly uncomfortable. Nothing to keep anybody from bidding here, but it's something to be aware of. - Jul 2020
No problems with religious prejudice but Uruguay is a very homogenous country culturally. I've heard Asians and anyone that doesn't look like most Uruguayans can feel uncomfortable. No big issues with gender equality. - Aug 2018
Yes, Uruguayans are very racist. - Oct 2016
Not that I am aware of. Uruguay is the most secular country in Latin America and it's fairly homogenous as the vast majority of the population is of European descent. - Aug 2016
Not as much as I would have expected. But, the history of the country is that the local population was assimilated into the Spanish, British, Italian people has they took over the country. - Mar 2014
Yes -- Uruguay is perhaps the whitest country in South America. People of African descent are particularly discriminated against, and the local Native Americans have been almost completely wiped out. - May 2013
There is some discrimination against the small Afro-Uruguayan population here. Otherwise the population is quite homogeneous - all people of European-descent (mostly Spanish and Italian), so it is just not a very diverse place. - Mar 2012
I have heard some prejudice against people ofAfrican descent and other races. Uruguayans are proud to be "European." Although they certainly don't act European, unless you mean Eastern Europe! They are a pretty depressed people. - Jan 2009
