know if it's still true today, but airlines in South America 25 years ago were more passenger friendly than US airlines of that same time. It was closer to what US flying was like in the 1960s. More comfort. Good food choices. Attentive flight attendants. People feeling like it was a "classy" mode of travel. I remember people clapping for smooth landings.

If this lady was having language issues and she was unaccustomed to the modern US "cattle" feeling, she probably wasn't as prepared to have to gate check the stroller and she probably expected gentler treatment from the flight attendant to begin with. That leads to her being uncooperative and causing a problem and bam . . . Volitile situatuon with no one de-escalating.