Former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica, famed for his austere lifestyle and progressive politics, has died at 89.
The announcement came from President Yamandú Orsi, who paid tribute on X, thanking Mujica for his deep love for the people. He had been battling oesophageal cancer, though no official cause of death was released.
A one-time guerrilla fighter, Mujica led Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 and gained global recognition as “the world’s poorest president” for living in a modest farmhouse, donating most of his salary, and driving a beat-up Volkswagen Beetle. Rejecting materialism, he once said, “Poor are those who want more.”
Mujica’s journey from armed struggle to the presidency is remarkable. In the 1960s, he co-founded the Tupamaros, a leftist guerrilla group inspired by the Cuban revolution. Captured and tortured during Uruguay’s dictatorship, he spent over 14 years in prison, much of it in isolation.
Released in 1985, Mujica re-entered politics, serving as lawmaker and minister before becoming president at 74.
During his term, Uruguay saw steady economic growth and progressive reforms: legalising abortion, same-sex marriage, and marijuana. While hailed abroad, his presidency drew mixed reviews at home—praised for integrity, but criticised for failing to improve education and for rising fiscal deficits.
Despite retiring in 2020, Mujica remained an influential voice. His protégé, Yamandú Orsi, was elected president in 2024. In his final BBC interview, Mujica said of death: “It’s inevitable. Perhaps it’s like the salt of life.”
