Río de la Plata, the New Berlin Wall?

Uruguay has elected a new president and made a 180-degree turn compared to its neighbor Argentina. This raises concerns about the emergence of a new Berlin Wall on the Río de la Plata. Especially since there will be those willing to risk everything in search of greater freedom.

Uruguay elected Yamandu Orsi of the left-wing opposition party to become the nation’s next president in a runoff vote Sunday https://t.co/XxxEOJlYFM

— Bloomberg Economics (@economics) November 25, 2024

“What marks the failure of communism is not the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, but its construction in 1961. It was the proof that real socialism had reached such a degree of decay that it was forced to imprison those who wanted to leave in order to prevent their escape,” said Jean-François Revel.

This happened after the division of Germany following World War II. And no one was trying to cross into the communist side, but countless Germans lost their lives attempting to reach the side with a freer economy, education, and society.

Few know, but the first male fatality attempting to cross the Berlin Wall died trying to swim across. Günter Litfin was only 24 years old when he was shot.

Although the most famous fatality was the young Peter Fechter, who was just 18 years old.

Nino Bravo even wrote the song Libre in his memory. Fechter gained more notoriety because of the dramatic way he died: he was shot in the groin and bled to death, alone, as no one helped him.

Gateway Hispanic reached out to El Guardián de la República. Through social media, especially TikTok, it has been fighting the cultural battle, opting for hope and enthusiasm despite the unfavorable electoral result.

Will a Resistance Emerge?

Not necessarily. The Uruguayan left has spent decades carefully shaping the national narrative and distorting historical truths. In this environment, it’s often harder to prove the obvious when the majority refuses to acknowledge it — in this case, the evident lack of capability and leadership in Yamandú Orsi.

This strategy of manipulation has been tried and tested over time, and it has yielded results.

In contrast, a small group of people who reject Orsi’s vision and methods may emerge, but they will lack the resources, support, and numbers needed to form a genuine opposition.

What’s the Next Step?

Stay true to your principles, maintain consistency, and seek personal happiness.

And every now and then, find comfort for the soul when predictions of political folly come true.

But humanity, it seems, is inexorably heading toward greater stupidity. Car manuals that once explained how to change the oil now simply warn against drinking the water from the radiator.

On our mobile phones, we’re bombarded with ads for games that challenge us with basic math problems like «5 + 3,» offering choices like a) 10, b) 4, c) 75, or d) 8. Those who manage to answer correctly are rewarded with the opportunity to «level up,» experiencing a brief, hollow moment of triumph.

It may take years for people to fully recognize the extent of their intellectual decline, and by then, the system may have evolved into an even more effective machine of stupidity.

In other words, as Yamandú often says, the search for an «unwanted good» — in other words, the pursuit of something greater, like freedom and democracy — may eventually lead to just that. But unlike enlightenment, stupidity is contagious.

Now that a river divides Argentina and Uruguay, analogies arise. Yamandú Orsi is the president of Uruguay in contrast to Javier Milei. Although diplomatically, relations seem cordial.

President Luis Lacalle Pou leaves office. Besides confronting regional tyrannies before the OAS, he was the first Uruguayan president to call for an act of thanksgiving in the Cathedral after 100 years in the first secular nation in Latin America.

What seemed like a more conservative shift was interrupted by the pandemic and all the consequences that followed. No leader or party could maintain power after that, and Uruguay was no exception but rather the norm.

Additionally, although Lacalle Pou had an approval rating of around 50%, the Constitution prevents re-election. But his party’s successor (and former secretary in his government), Álvaro Delgado, failed to secure enough votes. Lacalle Pou congratulated Orsi even before the official announcement of the results.

“I called Orsi to congratulate him as the elected president of our country and to offer my support and begin the transition as soon as he deems it appropriate,” wrote Lacalle Pou when pollsters indicated the opposition candidate was the winner.

Llamé a @OrsiYamandu para felicitarlo como Presidente electo de nuestro país y para ponerme a las órdenes y empezar la transición apenas lo entienda pertinente.

— Luis Lacalle Pou (@LuisLacallePou) November 25, 2024

For many analysts, this was partly due to the fragmentation of votes. The alternatives to socialism splintered, with at least three candidates, similar to what will happen in the upcoming elections in Chile.

Instead of uniting forces, they argue, they allowed the return of the Frente Amplio to power. One of the first to celebrate was the former guerrilla and ex-president «Pepe» Mujica. Orsi’s term, a 57-year-old history professor, will begin on March 1, 2025.

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