Why South American navies bought old gun cruisers

What utility did old gun cruisers offer South American navies after World War II?

They were affordable, robust, upgradeable ships suited to regional opponents and useful for building fleet strength in numbers.

Fleet strength depends on more than top-tier warships. Age of Sail fleets relied heavily on third-rate ships of the line and fifth-rate frigates rather than only first-rate flagships. In the Second World War, Flower-class corvettes used basic, maintainable radar and ASDIC because mass deployment mattered more than fitting every unit with the most advanced equipment. Elite ships formed the core of a fleet, while less expensive vessels performed most routine work and could be produced and supported in numbers. Robust second-hand cruisers could be upgraded and maintained economically by navies still building their strength. Against regional opponents operating comparable gun cruisers, those ships delivered useful combat power without consuming the budget of a first-rate fleet.