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José “Pepe” Mujica, the former president of Uruguay, ex-guerrilla fighter, and a revered figure in Latin American leftist politics, has died at the age of 89, the government confirmed on Tuesday.
Mujica, who had been battling cancer, passed away after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop 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,” posted Uruguay’s current president, Yamandu Orsi, on X.
Mujica was widely known for his humble lifestyle and earned the moniker “the world’s poorest president” during his presidency from 2010 to 2015. He chose to donate much of his salary to charity and lived modestly on a farm with his wife, Lucia Topolansky, and their three-legged dog. In a 2012 interview with AFP, Mujica rejected the label, saying, “I do not live in poverty, I live in austerity… I need little to live.”
The ex-president, who had once spent 12 years in prison for his involvement in revolutionary activities, was celebrated for transforming Uruguay into a progressive stronghold in Latin America, a continent often plagued by corruption and authoritarian rule. Despite his achievements, he became disillusioned with the authoritarian tendencies of some left-wing governments, including those in Venezuela and Nicaragua.
In May of the previous year, Mujica was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, which spread to his liver. His wife, Lucia Topolansky, confirmed this week that he had been receiving palliative care.
“Humility and Greatness”
Leaders across Latin America and beyond paid tribute to Mujica following his passing. Former Bolivian president Evo Morales praised his “experience and wisdom,” while Brazil’s government bid farewell to “one of the most important humanists of our time.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that Mujica had lived for “a better world,” and Guatemala’s president, Bernardo Arévalo, described him as “an example of humility and greatness.”
During his presidency, Mujica enacted progressive policies, including the legalisation of abortion, gay marriage, and the recreational use of cannabis, making Uruguay the first country in the world to legalise cannabis for recreational purposes.
Even in his later years, as he battled cancer, Mujica remained active in political life, supporting the campaign of his political heir, Yamandu Orsi, who successfully ran for president in the 2024 elections.
In a bar in Montevideo, 71-year-old retiree Carlos Casal remembered Mujica as “a good person” who was “humble and hardworking.”
From Guerrilla Fighter to President
The blunt-spoken and snowy-haired Mujica was a fierce critic of consumerism and rejected the trappings of office. He famously attended official events in sandals and continued living on his farm, where his prized possession was a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.
In the 1960s, Mujica co-founded the Tupamaros, a Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla movement. The group began by robbing the rich to give to the poor, but later escalated to kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations. During this period, Mujica sustained multiple gunshot wounds and participated in a mass prison breakout.
When the Tupamaros collapsed in 1972, Mujica was recaptured and spent the entirety of Uruguay’s 1973-1985 dictatorship in prison, where he was tortured and spent years in solitary confinement. After his release, he entered politics, founding the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP) and later becoming a senator and agriculture minister in Uruguay’s first-ever left-wing government.
While he was praised for his fight against poverty during his presidency, he was also criticised for not doing enough to control public spending.
Mujica is survived by his wife, Lucia Topolansky, and the couple had no children. In accordance with his wishes, he will be buried on his farm next to his dog.
