Published: October 9, 2024
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Uruguay Travel Advisory and Uruguay Country Information Page.
Embassy Contact Information
U.S. Embassy: 1776 Lauro Müller, Montevideo 11200
Tel: +598-2-1770-2000
Hours: 0800 – 1730.
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
The Montevideo Country Chapter is active.
Contact OSAC’s Americas team with any questions.
Uruguay Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise increased caution due to crime.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Montevideo as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Uruguay, indicating that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organized crime present in the country, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.
Crime remains the primary security concern in Uruguay. Over the last ten years, Uruguay has experienced a significant increase in crime, to include armed robberies, homicides, vehicle break-ins, theft, residential break-ins, and assaults. Criminals are well-armed, brazen, and do not hesitate to resort to violence if victims resist or if the police attempt to intervene. Homicides have increased significantly over the last ten years but have plateaued somewhat following the coronavirus pandemic. While homicides increased about 25% from 2021 to 2022, there was no noticeable increase from 2022 to 2023, with the national homicide rate at 11.2 homicides per 100,000 residents. The government asserted that half of all murders were due to increasing conflicts among criminal gangs and drug traffickers as they continue to fight over turf and clients. Montevideo (14 per 100,000), Canelones (7.7 per 100,000) and Rivera (16 per 100,000) constitute the departments with the highest rates and numbers of homicides. Victims are overwhelmingly male (87%) between 18-38 years old. Over 50% of the victims possessed a criminal history.
Other types of violent crime also rose sharply over the last ten years such as robbery, armed robbery, vehicle and residential break ins, and domestic violence. Despite these recent positive developments, Uruguay still experienced a 20% increase in armed robberies over the last five years, and a negligible decrease of 1% in robberies in the same time frame. While recent improvements in reducing these types of crimes are a step in the right direction resulting in a “leveling out” of crime rates in 2023, rather than an increase. Overall, violent crime—homicides, robberies and armed robberies—are still much higher than they were more than five years ago. Over 50% of all violent crimes in Uruguay occur in the capitol city Montevideo.
Additionally, gender violence, specifically domestic violence rates continue to increase. This may be due to increased reporting options to the police, where a citizen can now report a crime online, through an app, initially by phone or through traditional means of walking into a police station. The Ministry of Interior also augmented its public awareness campaigns against domestic violence, and in 2019 created the Office of Gender Policy whose main focus is to create public safety and security policies to help prevent, reduce and respond to incidents of gender violence. The Ministry also increased funding for the domestic violence unit to improve victim services and increase tracking of perpetrators.
Since the beginning of 2019, there has also been a wave of violent attacks on police officers and private guards, many with the intention of stealing their service weapons and bulletproof vests.
During the summer tourism season, certain types of crime will typically migrate with the population to other popular vacation destinations (e.g., Punta del Este, Colonia del Sacramento). Criminals prey on targets of opportunity: tourists openly carrying valuables, motorists stopped at traffic lights with valuables visible within the vehicle, vacant homes, and unattended parked vehicles. Criminals operate in all parts of Montevideo, including popular tourist areas such as Ciudad Vieja, Avenida 18 de Julio, Plaza Independencia, and Mercado del Puerto, as well as other high-traffic areas within the country. Police increase patrols during periods of high tourist activity in these areas, especially during the visits of cruise liners in the summer. Police have also greatly increased traffic and security camera networks in Montevideo, Canelones, Colonia and Maldonado which have allowed the police to operate greater traffic controls and surveillance support in high crime, high violence areas.
Criminals commonly use a motorcycle when committing a robbery in Montevideo. Motochorro is the term used to describe a criminal who uses a motorcycle to commit a robbery, combining the local Spanish words for “motorcycle” and “thief.” Motochorros generally work in pairs. The driver will approach a victim while the companion steals wallets, purses, phones, or other items and rapidly escapes. During recent incidents, motochorros targeted victims at stoplights, parking lots, and ATMs, outside apartment buildings and outside of hotels while waiting for transportation. Motochorros have also targeted vehicles by puncturing a victim’s vehicle tire and waiting for them to pull over to change the tire to rob them.
Residential burglaries remain a problem in Uruguay. Even while nationwide robberies decrease, residential break-ins rates in certain neighborhoods remain unchanged. Single-family residences are more vulnerable to burglary than apartments. The neighborhoods of Carrasco, Punta Carretas, and Pocitos have recently been targets of residential burglaries due to the affluence of residents. Most incidents occur while the occupants are away, both day and night, though burglaries of occupied residences are not uncommon.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Uruguay.
The threat of kidnapping in Uruguay remains low, and primarily pertains to extortion or criminal activity among rival gangs. Travelers should exercise the same common-sense precautions as in any large cosmopolitan area, such as maintaining a low profile and always remaining aware of surroundings.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Montevideo as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Uruguay.
Although the general threat of terrorism in Uruguay remains low, authorities remain concerned about regional activity. The Lebanon-based and Iran-backed terrorist group Hizb’allah continues its long history of activity in the Western Hemisphere, including its use of supporters and financiers who operate in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America, where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet. The United States continues to be vigilant about individuals affiliated with international terrorist groups, including al-Qa’ida and ISIS, who have made attempts to exploit the region.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Montevideo as being a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Uruguay. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
The Oriental Republic of Uruguay is a constitutional republic with a democratically elected president and a bicameral legislature. In the 2019 national elections, Luis Lacalle Pou won a five-year presidential term in a free and fair election. No political party won a majority in parliament, but the ruling party formed a coalition to pass legislation. Upcoming national elections will occur on October 27, 2024. If necessary, run-off elections will be held on November 24.
Protests & Demonstrations
Demonstrations, some expressing anti-U.S. sentiment, occasionally occur in Uruguay, particularly near the U.S. Embassy, Legislative Palace, Independence Plaza, City Hall, Batlle Park, Liberty Plaza, and universities in Montevideo. While most demonstrations are peaceful and non-violent, avoid large gatherings or events where crowds have congregated to demonstrate, protest, or cause damage as a byproduct of celebrating an event, such as after soccer matches. Although public law requires a permit to demonstrate, local police typically do not enforce this rule.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
While there is anti-U.S. sentiment in some circles, this sentiment rarely, if ever, takes violent form. Occasional political protests target the U.S. government, but political violence against the Embassy or other U.S. interests has been non-existent in recent years.
Law Enforcement
The Interior Ministry (MOI) maintains the executive order to govern, execute, control, and evaluate policies, plans, and programs related to public security. Within the MOI, the National Police are responsible for maintaining public order and the prevention of crimes in Uruguay.
Under the Defense Ministry, the National Naval Prefecture maintains the executive order to maintain public order, prevent crime, and exercise control of Uruguay’s maritime, river and lake jurisdictions.
Police Response
The Uruguayan National Police has a well-trained and capable response force. It has significantly increased the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras throughout the country to monitor for potential criminal activity. While the National Police are an effective force, the lack of patrol resources, understaffed local police stations, and high-rates of criminal activity, often provide significant delays in response, especially for non-violent, property crimes.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Uruguay, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Uruguay.
Uruguay’s law and constitution prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, and provide for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. The government generally observes these requirements. The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implements the law effectively.
There were isolated reports of government corruption during the year, and the government addressed them with appropriate legal action. Authorities sometimes lacked sufficient enforcement resources and mechanisms to identify and address acts of administrative misconduct.
Cybersecurity
Uruguay continues to be one of the leading countries in South American implementing and researching initiatives to protect its cyberspace. CERTuy is the National Center for Response to Computer Security Incidents of Uruguay. According to CERTuy, Uruguay experienced a 40% increase in the total number of cybersecurity incidents between 2021 and 2022. Malware incidents continue to be among the growing trend, and several government offices and agencies have been the victims of malware and ransomware. Due to the increase in reliance on remote work or weak legacy information security protocols, there have been an increase in incidents pertaining to “improper access” and “collection of information.”
Import/Export Restrictions
Customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation or exportation of certain items. These include precious jewels, gold, firearms, pornography, inflammable articles, acids, prohibited drugs, plants, seeds, raw grains, and foodstuffs as well as antiquities and business equipment. Uruguayan Customs also prohibits the importation of subversive materials aimed at overthrowing the government or promoting anarchy, genocide, or other globally condemned practices. You may import and use satellite phones in Uruguay, but they must be declared when entering the country.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
