Uruguay strengthens its presence in Brazil with an event that brought together business, culture, and gastronomy

The Municipal Chamber of São Paulo was the venue for Uruguay Day in Brazil, an event organized by Uruguay XXI, the Embassy of Uruguay in Brazil, and the Consulate General in São Paulo. The event combined culture, gastronomy, and business opportunities.

The activity highlighted Uruguay’s bicentennial commemoration and reaffirmed the close ties between the two countries, projecting Uruguay as a reliable investment, trade, and tourism partner.

The Uruguayan Ambassador to Brazil, Rodolfo Nin Novoa, and the São Paulo City Council President, Ricardo Teixeira, attended the ceremony. Teixeira emphasized the honor of hosting the commemoration. “Today is Uruguay Day in the city of São Paulo. It is a day of great happiness and honor for this house to host an event of this magnitude,” he said.

The event, co-organized by the Embassy of Uruguay in Brazil, the Consulate General in São Paulo, and the agency Uruguay XXI, brought together more than a hundred guests for an evening that combined networking opportunities, a gastronomic offering featuring Uruguayan meats, cheeses, and wines, and an artistic closing performance by musician Luciano Supervielle.

Uruguay and Brazil: a strategic relationship

In his speech, Ambassador Rodolfo Nin Novoa highlighted the historical depth of the relationship. “We have been independent for 200 years, and since then, we have been building 200 years of friendship with Brazil,” he celebrated.

He stressed that São Paulo is “not only an important market, but also a strategic partner for Uruguay, a key access point for our trade with Brazil.” He recalled that more than 150 Brazilian companies operate in Uruguay in sectors such as food, beverages, logistics, transportation, banking, and meat processing, and that more and more Uruguayan companies are finding opportunities in Brazil, mainly in technology and innovation.

Nin Novoa emphasized that “Uruguay stands out in the region for its stability and predictability, the result of decades of solid institutions and responsible economic management,” adding that “investing in Uruguay means investing with a long-term vision, based on clear rules, legal certainty, and a real commitment to sustainable development.”

The diplomat concluded, “São Paulo, with its business dynamism, and Uruguay, with its stability and productive capacity, can generate high-impact projects together.”

In 2024, trade between the two countries reached US$4.965 billion, with Uruguayan exports totaling US$2.707 billion and imports from Brazil totaling US$2.257 billion, confirming the importance of the Brazilian market for the national economy.

Panel: Uruguay as a strategic business destination

In the central panel, moderated by Brazilian journalist Natália Ariede, the executive director of Uruguay XXI, Mariana Ferreira, underscored the importance of Brazil as the destination for 20% of Uruguayan exports of goods and 15% of the tourists that the country receives. “Many of the investors who come to Uruguay were first tourists,” she said.

Ferreira highlighted that Uruguay XXI promotes the country on two platforms: as a supplier of sustainable goods and services and as a regional hub for services and logistics, with priority sectors such as agribusiness, financial and corporate services, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and renewable energy.

She also emphasized human capital. “We have qualified talent, and our people speak Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Uruguay is taking advantage of this opportunity to encourage more Brazilian companies to invest in our country,” she said. She also noted that the agency ”provides free and ongoing advice to investors.

From the private sector, João de Almeida Sampaio Filho, from Minerva Foods, highlighted Uruguayan beef’s competitiveness. “Uruguay has several advantages: sustainability, traceability, and animal welfare. All of this makes its meat highly valued worldwide,” he said.

With four meat processing plants that generate nearly 3,000 direct jobs, Minerva already accounts for 23% of national beef production and 21% of meat exports, and he said that the company is evaluating new investments in the country.

For his part, Felipe Guimarães, corporate director of Cubo Itaú, recalled that September will mark one year since the opening of its hub in Montevideo. “In just one year, there are already around 50 startups connected to corporations in Uruguay. We believe that this ecosystem has enormous potential to integrate with Brazil and to project Latin American innovation to the world,” he said.

He added that “among the countries in the region, Uruguay is among the top five in terms of technological entrepreneurship” and projected that starting next year, they expect to see concrete results and significant numbers in business.

Cubo Itaú, which brings together more than 530 startups and 70 large companies in Brazil, chose Uruguay for its institutional stability and growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Six Uruguayan startups signed strategic agreements with corporations in their first year in the country.

Culture, flavors, and integration

Luciano Supervielle led the cultural closing, presenting his show Montevideano, a concert for piano and electronics.

The experience was complemented by a cocktail of Uruguayan meats, cheeses, and wines, highlighting the country’s agro-export tradition and its international reputation as a supplier of superior-quality food.

The day had a symbolic moment when a work by Uruguayan artist Juan Muzzi was donated to the Municipal Chamber of São Paulo. For its president, Ricardo Teixeira, the piece “symbolizes the friendship between Brazil and Uruguay and the importance of cultural and economic dialogue for common development.”

An event with institutional and business support

Uruguay Day in Brazil was supported by Uruguay Wine, the Ministry of Tourism, Granja Naturalia, Uruguay Meats, Cubo Itaú, Minerva Foods, Enjoy Punta del Este, the Punta del Este Food and Wine Festival, Hospital Sírio Libanés, and Hospital HCOR Associacao Beneficiente Síria, confirming the public-private partnership as the driving force behind the country’s international projection.