José “Pepe” Mujica, Uruguay’s Humble Former President, Dies at 89
José Mujica, Uruguay’s former president famously dubbed “the world’s poorest president,” has died at the age of 89 following a battle with cancer, the country’s government announced.
“We deeply mourn the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica—president, activist, guide, and leader. We will miss him dearly,” President Yamandú Orsi said in a statement. “Thank you for everything you gave us, and for your profound love for the people.”
Mujica, a former guerrilla fighter affectionately known as "Pepe," served as president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. He gained international fame for his austere lifestyle, donating most of his salary to charity and living on a modest farm with his wife instead of the presidential palace.
In a 2012 interview with AFP, Mujica rejected the idea that he was poor. “I’m not living in poverty—I live simply,” he said. “I don’t need much to be happy.”
Diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2024, Mujica later revealed the disease had spread to his liver and stopped treatment earlier this year. His wife, former First Lady Lucía Topolansky, confirmed he had been in palliative care during his final days. In accordance with his wishes, Mujica will be buried at his family’s farm.
Tributes poured in from across Latin America and Europe. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called Mujica “an inspiration for Latin America and the world,” while Colombian President Gustavo Petro—himself a former guerrilla—hailed him as “a great revolutionary.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez praised Mujica as “a man who lived for a better world.” Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo described him as “a symbol of humility and greatness.”
Brazilian officials honored Mujica as “one of the most important humanist voices of our time.”
During his presidency, Mujica was widely regarded as one of Latin America’s most progressive leaders. Known for his plainspoken honesty and sharp critiques of consumerism, he often challenged traditional political norms.
Among his few possessions was a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. In 2014, a Middle Eastern prince reportedly offered $1 million for the car, but Mujica declined the offer, saying it would be an insult to the friends who helped him buy it for his wife.
Before entering politics, Mujica was an active member of the Tupamaros guerrilla movement in the 1960s and 1970s. He spent over a decade in prison between 1973 and 1985, enduring torture and solitary confinement.
After his release, Mujica entered mainstream politics and co-founded the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP), which became the largest faction within Uruguay’s leftist Broad Front coalition.
He was elected to parliament in 1995, became a senator five years later, and served as Minister of Agriculture in Uruguay’s first leftist government before eventually rising to the presidency.
(Sources: AFP, AP, Reuters)
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