Mujica calls Argentines “swindlers”

[ventanilla]

Like Fidel Castro who had billions while his people starved - The hipocrisy of people never ceases to amaze me

3 tractors that cost $35,000 and a small farm is not "billions". Anyone who worked on a reasonable salary their whole life could afford that by the time they're Mujicas age. The idea that it's dishonorable for him to have some assets is utterly ludicrous.

 

[ventanilla]

I'm surprised at his posing as "poor".

Has he ever said that he's poor?
He's called 'frugal', not poor. And not by himself. Everyone already knows that poor people don't own decently sized farms.

 

[on the brink]

3 tractors that cost $35,000 and a small farm is not "billions". Anyone who worked on a reasonable salary their whole life could afford that by the time they're Mujicas age. The idea that it's dishonorable for him to have some assets is utterly ludicrous.

Obviously, you are not familiar with Uruguay.

 

[Ries]

I am familiar with used mercedes on mercado libre in uruguay for over $100,000 usd, and with houses in Carrasco that are over $2 million. And with houses in Jose Ignacio and Punta renting for $25,000 a WEEK. Which is to say, there are a lot of people with money in Uruguay.

 

[Weyland]

Can anyone enlighten me to why Uruguay is so expensive? Even outside the mega rich areas of Jose Ignacio, Punta, etc. the costs are close to the US for many items.

 

[Pierre Smith]

High tariffs, high taxes, low competition, low entrepreneurship, low population.

 

[on the brink]

I am familiar with used mercedes on mercado libre in uruguay for over $100,000 usd, and with houses in Carrasco that are over $2 million. And with houses in Jose Ignacio and Punta renting for $25,000 a WEEK. Which is to say, there are a lot of people with money in Uruguay.

The "people with money" you mention are 95% foreigners . (The most expensive apartment in Punta del Este's Aqua building was sold for six million dollars to a Belgian). Uruguayans can't afford those prices - the lucky ones summer in La Paloma and Playa Verde, and visit Punta del Este for the day.

Uruguay is more than the super-priviledged Carrasco, Jose Ignacio, and Punta del Este areas.

Venture just a few kms. outside the Route 1 corridor and see whole towns with shuttered factories, and people living on government handouts. Juan Lacaze in Colonia is a good example. It is only a ten km. detour on the way to Punta del Este, but most tourists don't even know the town exists.

In short, it is necessary to get off the touristy beaten path to see what Uruguay is really like.

 

[Ries]

I have been to Juan Lacaze, driven 11 thru Canelones, driven quite a bit on 9, spent time in places like Rocha and San Carlos. And seen tractors in all of those places.
Interestingly enough, tractors in Uruguay are actually quite reasonably priced compared to the same makes and models in the USA. In my corner of Washington State, a similar John Deere that might be $12,000 to $20,000 USD in Uruguay is usually at least double that. I lease one of my fields, a 21 acre (about 9 hectaires) to a real US farmer, who owns probably 2 million dollars worth of tractors and equipment. He considers himself middle class, in the USA, and would consider the owner of 3 small john deeres to be basically a hobby farmer...

 

[Weyland]

The "people with money" you mention are 95% foreigners . (The most expensive apartment in Punta del Este's Aqua building was sold for six million dollars to a Belgian). Uruguayans can't afford those prices - the lucky ones summer in La Paloma and Playa Verde, and visit Punta del Este for the day.

Uruguay is more than the super-priviledged Carrasco, Jose Ignacio, and Punta del Este areas.

Venture just a few kms. outside the Route 1 corridor and see whole towns with shuttered factories, and people living on government handouts. Juan Lacaze in Colonia is a good example. It is only a ten km. detour on the way to Punta del Este, but most tourists don't even know the town exists.

In short, it is necessary to get off the touristy beaten path to see what Uruguay is really like.

I've read they have a small aging population with a lot of emigration of the the young. Just driving through Uruguay I've seen lots of people living in precarious rural poverty. You don't really get the impression that the country has a bright, exciting future. I do get the appeal of Uruguay though. For the most part, the people are very friendly, peaceful, nice landscapes, beautiful coastline.

As you mention, most of the wealth seems to be rich people sheltering their money from neighboring countries - Brazilians and Argentines primarily.

 

[semigoodlookin]

I have been to Juan Lacaze, driven 11 thru Canelones, driven quite a bit on 9, spent time in places like Rocha and San Carlos. And seen tractors in all of those places.
Interestingly enough, tractors in Uruguay are actually quite reasonably priced compared to the same makes and models in the USA. In my corner of Washington State, a similar John Deere that might be $12,000 to $20,000 USD in Uruguay is usually at least double that. I lease one of my fields, a 21 acre (about 9 hectaires) to a real US farmer, who owns probably 2 million dollars worth of tractors and equipment. He considers himself middle class, in the USA, and would consider the owner of 3 small john deeres to be basically a hobby farmer...

You have a field? And a tractor? Filthy capatalist.