Uruguay’s former president and global symbol of political humility, José ‘Pepe’ Mujica, died at the age of 89 on 13 May following a battle with oesophageal cancer. The ex-guerrilla fighter turned statesman passed away peacefully at his modest farmhouse on the outskirts of Montevideo, just one week shy of his 90th birthday.
“With deep sadness, the Workers’ Party receives the news of the death of José ‘Pepe’ Mujica,” Workers’ Party (PT) Brasil announced on social media platform X, adding:
“A humble, coherent and tireless leader in the fight for social justice, Mujica was an example of integrity and commitment to the values of the Latin American left. His story will remain alive in the memory of people who dream of a more just, supportive and egalitarian world.”
Mujica, who served as president from 2010 to 2015, gained international admiration not only for his progressive reforms but for his famously austere lifestyle. He refused to live in the presidential palace, drove a battered Volkswagen Beetle, and donated around 90% of his salary to charity. Affectionately dubbed “the world’s poorest president”, Mujica’s brand of down-to-earth politics earned him praise far beyond Uruguay’s borders.
Before his presidency, Mujica was a leader of the left-wing Tupamaros guerrilla movement. Captured during Uruguay’s military dictatorship, he spent 14 years in prison, including extended periods in solitary confinement. Following the country’s return to democracy in the mid-1980s, he entered mainstream politics with the Broad Front coalition.
As president, Mujica championed a raft of liberal reforms: legalising same-sex marriage, abortion, and recreational cannabis—making Uruguay the first country to fully regulate its cannabis market. He was also a vocal critic of consumerism and inequality, favouring grassroots solutions over corporate interests.
Tributes have poured in from across Latin America and beyond. Uruguay’s government has declared three days of national mourning, and thousands are expected to attend his funeral procession through the capital. José Mujica leaves behind a legacy of integrity, courage, and conviction that continues to inspire progressive movements worldwide.
