Why LATAM Will Overtake the US in Innovation

Over the next 30 years, the centuries-old “third place” won’t just move to first—it will become, best. (It already kinda is.)

• In quality of life.
• In community-driven economic growth.
• In business innovation.
• In culture.

I’ve been traveling for nine years now, spending time in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador and Panama. And I haven’t just been seeing it—I’ve been feeling it.

Here’s why:

1. We (LATAM) have the manpower and brainpower. Software, film, design, art, music and more are already being outsourced here. Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil already have their own tech unicorns. The entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving. (Rappi, Mercado Libre, Nubank, to name a few.)
2. Demographics are on our side. A new generation of entrepreneurs is already building infrastructure and businesses that are tech-focused and future-ready. Both sides (Supply and Demand) of the "market" equation are primed.
3. The US is pushing talent away. Restrictive immigration policies will drain the labor force—both in manual labor and knowledge work—while LATAM continues to grow. Eg. If you are a knowledge worker, you don't have to leave LATAM you can work remote.
4. Global technology is rewriting the rules. Digital nomads have been thriving in LATAM for over a decade. Life here is cheaper, less stressful, and far more nourishing than in the US.
5. Cryptocurrency is solving old problems. From Bitcoin to tokenized assets, LATAM is innovating in financial sovereignty. El Salvador is proving that reducing dependence on the dollar is possible.
6. We’re rejecting outdated values. Both old and new generations are tired of American tech culture and its "grind" mentality. We want to flow and thrive. Not grind. We want to live by the water, integrated with nature, focused on something more meaningful than the rat race.
7. Cultural power is LATAM’s unfair advantage. LATAM is fertile ground for bold, powerful ideas. The West loves our music, our coffee, our people—but it can’t replicate what has taken centuries of indigenous and African influences to create.

"The latest edition of the 1,000 Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2023 saw the rise in rank of 77 cities from 11 countries in the region, with stalwarts such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina surpassing more established innovation markets outside of Latin America." - World Economic Forum

“But José, you’re American. Why would you bet against the US?”

I’m not. I’m just betting on what’s next.

My personal anthem is No Soy de Aquí, No Soy de Allá by Facundo Cabral. My father is Puerto Rican, making me a U.S. citizen first. My mother, a negrita from the Dominican Republic, came to the US because she married an American citizen. I was born in Chicago.

I am loyal to my passport but also to my roots.

I don’t need to be psychic to see where things are going—the shift is happening south. Experts have been saying it for years, but I don’t need to read the tea leaves. I’m feeling the room.

If you’re an American of Latino descent and can work remotely, it’s time to return home. Take everything we’ve learned in the US and use it to fuel the next 100 years of growth in LATAM.

Namascray,

José Abraham Caballer Pérez Camacho Acosta

PS. Want to read more?

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/09/see-how-latin-america-is-becoming-a-thriving-innovation-hub/?utm_source=chatgpt.com