Jose Mujica, ex-Uruguayan president, dies at 89

Al Bawaba

14-05-2025

BOGOTA, Colombia - Uruguay's former President Jose 'Pepe' Mujica, known for his humble lifestyle and socially progressive administration, has died at the age of 89.
Mujica had been diagnosed with cancer and had entered the terminal phase of his illness in recent weeks.
His death was announced Tuesday by Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi.
"With deep pain, we announce that our comrade Pepe Mujica has passed away," Orsi said on X.
"President, activist, a guiding figure, and a driving force. We are going to miss you, dear old man. Thank you for everything you taught us and for your profound love for your people."
Born on May 20, 1935, Mujica co-founded the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional-Tupamaros (MLN-T) in the 1960s, an urban guerrilla group influenced by the Cuban revolution.
Captured in 1970, he escaped and was subsequently arrested in 1972 and remained imprisoned until 1985. Mujica endured 13 years in prison, where he was tortured and survived inhumane conditions, including prolonged periods of isolation in bunkers or cages. He was freed under an amnesty granted in 1985 coinciding with the end of Uruguay's military regime.
Before becoming president, Mujica served as a deputy and senator, and in 2005, he was appointed Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries in the first government of the Frente Amplio, Uruguay's leftist coalition.
During his presidential term from 2010 to 2015, the Uruguayan economy achieved an average annual growth rate of 5.4%, poverty levels declined, and unemployment remained low. Upon leaving office, Mujica enjoyed a high level of domestic popularity, approaching 70% in the small country of more than 3 million people.
Beyond Uruguay's borders, 'Pepe' Mujica garnered significant international recognition, becoming an emblem of unconventional leadership and humility. He was globally renowned not just for his past as a guerrilla fighter or for his progressive policies, which included legalizing abortion, marijuana and same-sex marriage, as well as the resettlement of war refugees from Afghanistan, but also became known for his strikingly austere lifestyle and his incisive critiques of consumerism and global inequality.
Throughout his presidency, he famously chose not to reside in the presidential mansion, breaking with the tradition of his predecessors. Instead, he continued to live with his wife, Lucía Topolansky—a fellow politician and former guerrilla member—in their modest home on the outskirts of Montevideo.
Known for his informal attire and minimal security detail, Mujica famously continued to drive his sky-blue 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and donated a significant portion of his presidential salary to charities that benefited poor people and small entrepreneurs.
Mujica's death has been met with widespread tributes and condolences from across Uruguay and the international community.