I don't think there is any way to catch all the best weather throughout the whole continent, no matter when you start. It's not a question of getting "screwed;" it's all about making choices and yielding to what's inevitable.
You don't say when you might now be planning to leave home. It's February, and if you wait until April, start in Colombia, and take 8 months for your trip (per your original plan), you'll be in Patagonia in spring or maybe summer, which is fine.
I'll add only that the language barrier in Brazil is only slightly more difficult than any language barriers in the Spanish-speaking countries. Both languages are similar, and Brazilians can generally understand simple Spanish, although someone with only basic Spanish skills might have difficulty understanding them. Lots of the people you meet will speak other languages anyway--Quechua, Guarani, even German, Dutch, and others. You don't have time to go everywhere, so maybe you'll miss Brazil anyway, but don't skip it merely due to the "language barrier."
Hope that's helpful.
Mark
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