The recolonization of America starts from the back. Thousands of Spaniards cross the Atlantic not for gold or glory, but for anesthesia and discounts.
Medical tourism has taken a new direction, and no one saw it coming. In recent months, clinics in Lima, Buenos Aires, Santiago, or La Paz have started receiving an unusual influx of patients with a Spanish accent. They are not coming for beaches or Inca ruins, but for something much more intimate: [medical procedures]. What used to be a leisure trip now has clinical purposes. . In contrast, in Peru, Chile, or Argentina, the same procedure costs between 60 and 80% less, with immediate attention and, according to patients, a “more human and less bureaucratic” treatment. This peculiar trend, which many already call —with irony and some pride— the “health recolonization,” was born.
A phenomenon that mixes history and pragmatism
Five centuries after the caravels, the transatlantic flows are reversed. Europeans travel south not to conquer, but to be treated. And while easy humor prevails —”recolonization starts with the colon,” they joke on social media—, there is a deeper symptom behind it: The pandemic, hospital overload, and lack of specialized personnel have pushed many to look beyond the Atlantic for medical efficiency.
When health becomes a destination
The [statistics] confirm that the sector has grown by more than 25% since 2022. If before visitors came for cosmetic surgeries or dental treatments, today preventive procedures —such as colonoscopies or comprehensive check-ups— are on the rise. The appeal is not only the price: also the personalized attention and the feeling, according to many patients, of “being listened to without rush.”
Between irony and paradox
[This trend] has sparked reflections that go beyond the medical field. Some analysts talk about a “symbolic revenge” of the former colonies, which now export health services to the same countries that used to export doctors. Others see it as a display of healthcare globalization: talent, infrastructure, and competitiveness are no longer exclusive to the north.
At the end of the day, what started as a social media joke has become a reality with geopolitical implications. Spaniards are returning to America, but this time unarmed, vulnerable, and with an appointment. The gold no longer shines; the treasure lies in a clean colon and a diagnosis without delays.
