Tributes flooded in from across Latin America on Tuesday following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter admired by the left for his humility and progressive ideals. The 89-year-old, who spent twelve years in prison for his revolutionary activities, succumbed to cancer after revealing in January that the illness had advanced and he would cease treatment.
“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide, and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” wrote Uruguay’s current president, Yamandu Orsi, on X. Moments later, a cyclist shouted, “Pepe, eternal!” as he rode past government buildings.
Mujica earned the title of “world’s poorest president” during his presidency from 2010 to 2015 for donating much of his salary to charity and leading a simple life on his farm with his fellow ex-guerrilla wife and their three-legged dog. The government declared three days of national mourning in his honor.
Activists from Mujica’s Movement of Popular Participation (MPP) assembled outside the party headquarters, displaying large banners that read “Hasta siempre, viejo querido” (Until forever, old friend). Leftist leaders from Latin America and Europe honored the man whom Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called an “example for Latin America and the entire world.” Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva echoed this sentiment, stating, “His human greatness transcended the borders of Uruguay and his presidential term. The wisdom of his words created a genuine anthem of unity and fraternity for Latin America.”
Like Everyday People
At the Madison, a modest corner café in central Montevideo, waiter Walter Larus reminisced about the time Mujica stopped by for a steak shortly after taking office. “He felt and lived like an ordinary person, unlike today’s politicians, who often appear wealthy,” the 53-year-old remarked.
In a 2012 interview, Mujica rejected the label of being poor, describing his lifestyle instead as one of “austerity.” “I need little to live,” he stated. He transformed Uruguay, a thriving nation of 3.4 million known for its football and ranching, into one of the most progressive societies in Latin America.
In his later years, he expressed disappointment over the authoritarian tendencies of certain left-wing governments, criticizing the repressive regimes in Venezuela and Nicaragua for "messing things up." He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in May of last year, which later spread to his liver. His wife, Lucia Topolansky, announced this week that he was receiving palliative care.
Humility and Greatness
During his five years in office, Mujica legalized abortion and same-sex marriage, making Uruguay the first country to permit recreational cannabis use. Even after his cancer diagnosis, he remained active in politics, passionately supporting the successful election campaign of Orsi, his political successor.
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales praised his "experience and wisdom," while the Brazilian government honored him as "one of the most significant humanists of our time." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remarked that Mujica lived for "a better world," and Guatemala’s Bernardo Arevalo regarded him as "an example."
China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, praised Mujica as a "renowned leader" and a "true friend of the Chinese people."
From Prison to Politics
The outspoken, gray-haired farmer was a staunch critic of consumerism. He attended official events in sandals and continued to live on his small farm on the outskirts of Montevideo, where his most valued possession was a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.
In the 1960s, he co-founded the Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group Tupamaros, which initially focused on robbing the wealthy to aid the poor but later escalated its activities to include kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations.
During this tumultuous period, Mujica led a life filled with daring exploits. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and participated in a mass prison escape. However, when the Tupamaros were defeated in 1972, he was recaptured and spent the entirety of Uruguay's dictatorship from 1973 to 1985 in prison, where he endured torture and years of solitary confinement.
Following his release, he immersed himself in politics and established the MPP in 1989, which became the largest member of the leftist Broad Front coalition. He was elected to Congress in 1995, became a senator in 2000, and later served as the agriculture minister in Uruguay's first left-wing government.
As president, he received acclaim for his efforts to combat poverty, though he faced criticism for not controlling public spending. He is survived by his wife, Topolansky, and they had no children. Mujica expressed a wish to be buried on his farm, alongside his dog.
