Uruguay’s iconic ex-President Jose Mujica dies at 89

Montevideo: Former Uruguayan President Jose “Pepe” Mujica, who was an icon and known as the “world’s poorest President” died at the age of 89 in Montevideo, President Yamandu Orsi confirmed.

Mujica announced in January that his esophageal cancer, first diagnosed in April 2024, had spread to his liver. He said he would not pursue further treatment.

“With deep sorrow we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica – President, activist, leader, and guide. We’ll miss you dearly, old friend. Thank you for everything you gave us and for your deep love for your people,” Orsi wrote on social media on Tuesday.

In an interview with local weekly Busqueda, Mujica had said, “This is the end of the road for me,” adding, “my cycle is over.” He asked to be left in peace and expressed his wish to be buried at his farm on the outskirts of Montevideo, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mujica, widely known as the “world’s poorest President” for donating most of his salary to charitable causes during his 2010–2015 term, had been diagnosed with advanced cancer.

In May 2024, doctors discovered cancer of the esophagus, which then spread to his liver. His wife, former senator and Vice President Lucía Topolansky, confirmed this week that he was under palliative care.

A symbol of progressive politics in Latin America, Mujica helped transform Uruguay through landmark reforms, including the legalisation of abortion, same-sex marriage, and recreational cannabis. Even after his presidency, he continued to campaign for Leftist causes until his health declined.

Mujica’s political journey began in the 1960s when he co-founded the Tupamaros, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group. Initially known for robbing the rich to aid the poor, the movement later escalated to kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations. Mujica lived a life marked by daring exploits, surviving multiple gunshot wounds and participating in a dramatic mass prison escape.

After the Tupamaros collapsed in 1972, he was recaptured and spent the entirety of Uruguay’s military dictatorship from 1973 to 1985 in prison. During his incarceration, Mujica endured torture and long periods of solitary confinement.

Upon his release, he turned to democratic politics, founding the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP) in 1989, which became the largest faction within the Broad Front, Uruguay’s Left-wing coalition.

He was elected to parliament in 1995 and became a senator in 2000. In 2005, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture in the country’s first leftist government. In 2010, he was elected President and served a single five-year term, in accordance with Uruguay’s constitutional limits.

Mujica, who had no children, is survived by his wife and lifelong political partner, Lucía Topolansky.

–IANS