Former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica, widely known as the world’s “poorest president,” has died at age 89. His death was announced by current President Yamandú Orsi, who thanked him for “everything you gave us and for your deep love for your people.” While the exact cause wasn’t specified, Mujica had been battling oesophageal cancer.
Mujica’s remarkable journey began far from the presidential office. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement (MLN-T), a leftist guerrilla group that opposed what they viewed as an increasingly authoritarian government. This revolutionary path led to his capture multiple times—during one arrest in 1970, he was shot six times and nearly died.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Mujica spent over 14 years in prison, enduring torture and isolation. He later recalled experiencing delusions during this time, even “talking to ants.” Upon his release in 1985, when Uruguay returned to democracy, Mujica described it as his happiest memory: “Becoming president was insignificant compared to that.”
After serving as a lawmaker and minister, Mujica was elected president in 2010 at age 74, governing until 2015. His presidency coincided with a strong period for Latin America’s left, alongside figures like Brazil‘s Lula da Silva and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez. However, Mujica charted his own course, combining pragmatism with bold social reforms.
Under his leadership, Uruguay’s economy grew at an average annual rate of 5.4%, while poverty decreased and unemployment remained low. His administration passed groundbreaking legislation, including the legalisation of abortion, recognition of same-sex marriage, and state regulation of marijuana, making Uruguay the first country to legalise recreational cannabis use.
What captured global attention was Mujica’s modest lifestyle. Unlike most heads of state, he declined to live in the presidential mansion, instead remaining with his wife, fellow politician and former guerrilla Lucía Topolansky, in their simple home outside Montevideo. He drove an aged 1987 Volkswagen Beetle, dressed casually, and donated most of his presidential salary.
This approach earned him the title “world’s poorest president,” though he rejected this label: “They say I’m the poorest president. No, I’m not. Poor are those who want more […] because they’re in an endless race.”
Despite criticism from opponents regarding increased public spending and unresolved educational challenges, Mujica concluded his term with approximately 70% approval and was never accused of corruption or undermining democracy—a distinction in regional politics.
Though Mujica retired from formal politics in 2020, his influence remained substantial. His political heir, Yamandú Orsi, was elected president in November 2024, with Mujica’s faction within the Frente Amplio coalition securing the largest parliamentary representation since Uruguay’s return to democracy.
In his final BBC interview last November, Mujica spoke philosophically about mortality: “One knows that death is inevitable. And perhaps it’s like the salt of life.”
With his passing, Uruguay and the world lost a leader whose unconventional approach to politics and power challenged conventional norms and inspired millions beyond his small nation’s borders.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
