How did rice become so relevant in the diet of Latin Americans?

by kafka0011

I'm from Latin America, from Uruguay most specifically, i noticed that Argentina, Uruguay and Chile don't consume as much rice as the rest of the region, but still the consumption is significant, i know that rice is very common in countries like Brazil, Peru, Colombia and most countries in Central America. Seems like all social classes eat it since it's pretty cheap and efficient.

The question is why? how did this grain that is native to Asia ended up as one of the most consumed grains in Latin America?

Dinocrocodile

There's a lot of room for additional answers, but this older answer on rice in Latin American cuisine was very informative to me:

How did rice and beans become a Mexican staple by /u/wotan_weevil

That said, I'm really looking forward to a broader answer on rice in Latin American cuisine