Uruguay

On a Friday morning in West Palm Beach, World Cup fans clad in sky blue took over the Argentine restaurant Al Pan Pan. South Floridians representing a host of different Latin American countries collectively cheered for their neighbor Uruguay in its match against France. 

Members of the crowd screamed, cried, and bit their nails during the quick 95-minute game.

Among the folds of Uruguayan flags stood patron Juan Iglesias, who is Cuban.

"Whoever's in that is a Latin country, you know I root for that," Iglesias said.

Uruguay has long been known for its sweet pastries called medialunas. But right now it’s better known for marijuana. On Wednesday the small, progressive South American country became the first in the world to allow the nationwide commercial sale of pot – and the U.S. is watching.

This article was originally published in October and has been updated.

Uruguayans love it when you tell them what a resort paradise Punta del Este is. Or how tasty the country’s Tannat wine is. Or what a stable democracy their small nation (pop. 3.5 million) has turned out to be.

What they don’t like is to hear Uruguay called, as many do label it today, “the Switzerland of South America.” Not that Uruguayans dislike Switzerland. But many if not most of them think the comparison is cliché, exaggerated, inaccurate, condescending.