Why is Uruguay losing ground in civil liberties according to the World Justice Project?

By Agustin Miller

The new report from the World Justice Project (WJP) for 2025 came as a mirror that returns a complex image of Uruguay. On the one hand, the satisfaction of leading, once again, the ranking of the Rule of Law in Latin America; on the other, the concern generated by stagnation—and in some points, regression—in indicators that used to be our trademark: civil liberties.

Walking through Plaza Independencia on a Monday morning conveys a feeling of order that is difficult to find in other parts of the continent. That stability, which we Uruguayans usually take for granted, is what the WJP validates today when it places us at the top of the regional table. The independence of judges, the validity of contracts and the absence of systemic corruption continue to be the pillars of this “Uruguayan model.” But is that enough?

The silent slide of freedoms

The fine print of the report is where the news really is. The civil liberties indicator presents a downward trend that has not gone unnoticed by political analysts. This is not a democratic collapse, but rather an erosion that is felt in the micro details: from the growing polarization in public debate to certain tensions in freedom of expression and citizen participation mechanisms.

In coffee conversations and in law schools, the debate is recurring: are we losing our essence or are we simply adjusting to a global reality of greater surveillance and control? The WJP data suggest that Uruguay has kept its institutional structure intact, but the spaces for individual freedom—those that allow dissent without reprisals or participation without barriers—show cracks that were not there just five years ago.

The challenge of not living on income

The Uruguay of 2025 cannot be satisfied with “being the least bad” in the region. The World Justice Project report is, in essence, a wake-up call. The solidity of our institutions—that kind of armor that protects us from the crises that devastate other countries—should not be transformed into a comfort zone that prevents us from seeing internal problems.

When civil liberties indicators falter, the damage is not always immediate. It is an invisible process: a little more self-censorship here, greater difficulty in accessing information there, and a growing distrust of citizen control mechanisms. Regional leadership is a source of pride, of course, but maintaining it requires constant vigilance that we are not always willing to exercise.

At the end of the day, the Rule of Law is much more than laws written in the Legislative Palace; It is the real freedom of each inhabitant to exercise their rights. And in that area, Uruguay still has the opportunity to correct course before the decline becomes more pronounced.