Uruguay, Latin America and Antisemitism: A Collective Response
The brutal murder of David Fremd in Uruguay in 2016 highlights a pervasive reality often overlooked: the persistent presence of antisemitism across Latin America. We must confront this troubling trend head-on to protect fundamental human rights and strengthen our democracies.
Confronting a Regional Reality
In early March 2016, the Jewish community in Uruguay experienced a sad time. David Fremd, a businessman in Paysandú, suffered a brutal attack. The individual shouted “Allahu Akbar”. Fremd died, and this event produced shock across the nation. It is a country known to have stability and acceptance. In the wake of this tragedy, Uruguay’s Jewish community, along with national leaders, established an annual Acto por la Convivencia in his memory. As observed last week, they continue to call for “active defense” of freedom, equality, and respect for human rights—values they argue must be guarded vigilantly.
Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi, Vice President Carolina Cosse, and former President Julio María Sanguinetti joined community members and citizens at this year’s ceremony. Their presence signified a strong public rejection of antisemitism and hatred. Yet for many Uruguayans, Fremd’s murder remains an unsettling reminder that their country—often regarded as a beacon of calm in Latin America—is not immune to violent acts rooted in bigotry. If Uruguay, a small nation with a tradition of democratic governance, is not exempt from antisemitic violence, then larger and more diverse countries in the region face the same challenge, often on a bigger scale.
Seeing Fremd’s murder as just one event would be a major error. Throughout Latin America, Jewish groups faced antisemitic speech and violence for a long time. A very awful example happened in 1994. A bomb wrecked the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina as well as it led to 85 deaths, with hundreds injured. In 1992, the city had an attack on the Israeli Embassy. That showed violent antisemitism was not just random.
In Chile, antisemitic graffiti has appeared sporadically on synagogues, and there have been incidents of defaced Holocaust memorials. In Brazil, home to the largest Jewish population in Latin America after Argentina, Jewish organizations periodically report antisemitic threats and vandalism, especially during times of heightened geopolitical tension in the Middle East. Social media has become yet another avenue for hate speech. Online platforms allow conspiracy theories targeting Jewish communities—often recycled narratives about global control and financial manipulation—to multiply unchecked, leaving Jewish leaders in Mexico, Colombia, and elsewhere grappling with how to protect their communities from harassment that can easily translate into physical violence.
The repeated subject in the described events goes past bias; it also has apathy. This apathy shows itself as an unwillingness to accept that hate toward the Jewish people continues. This is even in countries that often value the diverse nature of their cultures. Attending remembrance events and denouncing actions that are antisemitic, like actions done by state representatives, hold significance. However, the dedication needed to put into effect considerable protective measures wanes following subsequent news cycles.
A Need for Vigilance, Education, and Unity
In Uruguay, the yearly observation concerning Fremd’s killing gives an important opportunity. It serves to make both the public and people working in government aware that animosity could grow in any location. The act’s organizer, Ariel Opoczynski—president of the Nueva Congregación Israelita—emphasizes “active defense” of values like freedom, equality, and human rights. This means more than passively endorsing tolerance; it requires steadfast, ongoing efforts.
Learning plays a key role in this method. Local hubs next to state groups should offer precise and complete accounts of Jewish living in Latin America. These accounts should detail both the vibrant cultural input and the sad events experienced. New groups should realize the outcomes that come from not caring about bias. This bias can target Jewish people, Afro-Latin people, Native groups, or others. Conversations between religions can act as a good way to help. These talks can reduce confusion between Christian, Muslim, Jewish as well as non-religious groups. Uruguayans have historically prided themselves on an open, liberal society—hosting discussions that bring people of diverse backgrounds to the same table can help maintain that tradition.
Legal structures must improve to handle hate crimes in a better way. In certain Latin American nations, antisemitic acts get tried as typical crimes. There is no awareness of prejudice. This prejudice part makes possible damage greater. The approval and use of more strict statutes would not just bring justice to those hurt, such as Fremd. It would also send a direct message. Society does not accept antisemitism.
Steps Toward a Safer Future
The core message of Fremd’s commemoration is that communities must do more than merely coexist—they must collaborate proactively to build a shared future. For Jewish communities in Uruguay and throughout Latin America, this involves speaking candidly about the threats they face and working with others to address them. For citizens, it means not shying away from uncomfortable truths. When bigoted language appears in the media or among one’s friends and family, it must be challenged rather than ignored. This communal effort, from the grassroots to the highest levels of government, is what “active defense” truly looks like.
Among civil society groups, creating alliances can assist in multiplying the impact. Groups focused on fighting racism, sexism, and homophobia next to other types of prejudice possess shared interests with Jewish communities as they confront antisemitism. Joint actions, such as summits about anti-hate or public awareness drives, may initiate wider shifts in the views of society. In Argentina, groups like the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA) collaborate with institutions beyond the Jewish sphere to promote inclusive legislation and cultural exchanges. Similar models could be adapted in Uruguay, Chile, and beyond.
Ultimately, there is no single law, policy, or event that can put an end to antisemitism in Latin America. Societal shifts happen slowly; they depend on discussion that is open and on group determination. The Jewish people of Uruguay show, by recalling David Fremd yearly, how such a memorial can build a wider pledge from society to be alert. That annual reminder compels both private citizens and elected officials to ask themselves: Are we doing enough to protect our neighbors, our institutions, and our values?
As new difficulties come up – covering economic problems to political divides – unfair language can enter society. These problems can appear as simple comments online or as serious acts. Taking action before conditions worsen is important. Latin American countries each face a choice. Will they keep backing diversity and kindness or will they permit apathy to harm their governing systems?
Also Read: Fentanyl’s Unrelenting Mexico And U.S. Cross-Border Trip Revealed
In summary, Fremd’s memory gives a distinct caution about the likely results of not acting. The outpouring of grief following his murder in 2016 demonstrated that Uruguayans do not view such violence as an isolated “personal tragedy” but as an affront to the very essence of their society. Extending this perspective across Latin America calls for consistent, hands-on measures—stronger hate-crime laws, robust educational initiatives, active interfaith engagement, and a willingness to stand publicly against all forms of hatred. Only by embracing these concrete actions can we ensure that those who sow fear and prejudice find no fertile ground in Uruguay or anywhere else to take root and spread.
