In May 2012 he ran four minutes for the mile to take bronze at the South American Road Mile Championships, then established a South American junior record in the 1500 m with a run of 3:40.86 minutes (breaking the long-standing mark of multiple South American record holder Hudson de Souza. He made the final at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics, but finished in last place, failing to match his time from the qualifying round. He established himself as one of the region's best young runners at the 2012 South American Under-23 Championships in Athletics, winning the 1500 m and taking a silver medal in the 5000 m behind Víctor Aravena.