Latest news with #Jose'Pepe'Mujica
Asahi Shimbun
16-05-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Remembering Jose Mujica, the voice of a global conscience
Jose Mujica, former president of Uruguay, delivers a speech in Fuchu, western Tokyo, in 2016. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) What does it truly mean to be poor? Or perhaps the more pressing question is this: What does it mean to be rich? The recent passing of former Uruguayan President Jose 'Pepe' Mujica—often called 'the world's poorest president'—invites deep reflection on these questions. He died at the age of 89. 'A poor person is not someone who has little, but someone who needs infinitely much and wants more and more,' Mujica declared in his now-iconic speech, delivered in Spanish at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The powerful address propelled him to global recognition. He also famously stated, 'I am not poor; I am sober, light in baggage. I live with just enough so that things do not steal my freedom.' Why do those words still strike a chord today? Perhaps it's because we are living in an era marked by the erosion of our affluence. Japan's gross domestic product ranking among nations continues to decline. Economic growth has stalled. Society itself is shrinking. And in this environment, many may feel a subtle urge to sneer at the hollowness of material wealth. On the other hand, what exactly is poverty? A powerful answer emerged in a letter from a university student published recently in The Asahi Shimbun. The student, involved in support activities for orphaned children, wrote that poverty is 'being stripped of the ability to choose how you live.' The remark reflects a deep sense of frustration and helplessness. Unrestrained, capitalism has a tendency to concentrate wealth in ever fewer hands. That is why Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates remarked in a recent interview, 'I'm trying to set an example by giving 98 percent of the money I have.' The comment followed his pledge to donate virtually all of his estimated $200 billion (29.07 trillion yen) fortune over the next 20 years through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Wealth and poverty are not fixed concepts—they evolve with the times. In the early 20th century, when poverty was often indistinguishable from starvation, Japanese economist Hajime Kawakami (1879-1946) examined the meaning of luxury in his influential work 'Binbo Monogatari' (A story of poverty). 'Just as a person can die of thirst,' he observed, 'one can also die from drowning.' Let us return to the words of Jose Mujica: 'We did not come to this planet merely to develop ourselves, just like that, in general. We came to this planet to be happy.' His question lingers across generations: What, in the end, is human happiness? It is a profound inquiry—one without a definitive answer, yet one that remains eternally relevant. —The Asahi Shimbun, May 16 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Latin America mourns world's ‘poorest president' Mujica, dead at 89
MONTEVIDEO: Tributes poured in from across Latin America on Tuesday following the death of Uruguay's former president Jose 'Pepe' Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. The iconic 89-year-old -- who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity -- lost his battle against cancer 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,' Uruguay's current president, Yamandu Orsi, posted on X. 'Pepe, eternal!' a cyclist shouted out minutes later, while passing government buildings. Mujica earned the moniker 'world's poorest president' during his 2010-2015 presidency for giving away much of his salary to charity and living a simple life on his farm, with his fellow ex-guerrilla wife and three-legged dog. The government announced three days of national mourning and said his body would be taken to the legislative palace on Wednesday to lie in state. Activists from Mujica's Movement of Popular Participation (MPP) gathered outside the party's headquarters to make giant banners marked 'Hasta siempre, viejo querido' (Until forever, old friend). Leftist leaders from across Latin America and Europe paid tribute to the man described by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as an 'example for Latin America and the entire world.' At the Madison, an unassuming corner cafe in central Montevideo, waiter Walter Larus recalled Mujica popping in for a steak shortly after winning office. 'He felt and lived like ordinary people, not like today's politicians who seem rich,' the 53-year-old waiter said. In a 2012 AFP interview, Mujica denied being poor, saying his was, rather, a life of 'austerity.' 'I need little to live,' he said. He transformed Uruguay, a prosperous country of 3.4 million people best known for football and ranching, into one of Latin America's most progressive societies. In later life, he was disappointed at the authoritarian drift of some left-wing governments, accusing repressive leaders in Venezuela and Nicaragua of 'messing things up.' He was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in May last year, and it spread to his liver. His wife Lucia Topolansky said this week he was receiving palliative care. - 'Humility and greatness' - Over the course of five years in power, Mujica legalized abortion and gay marriage and made Uruguay the first country to legalize the use of recreational cannabis. He continued to campaign for the left after his cancer diagnosis, working fervently on the successful election campaign of history teacher Orsi, his political heir. Former Bolivian president Evo Morales hailed his 'experience and wisdom,' while Brazil's government bid farewell to 'one of the most important humanists of our time.' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Mujica had lived for 'a better world,' while Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo held him up as 'an example of humility and greatness.' - From prison to politics - The blunt-spoken, snowy-haired farmer was a fierce critic of consumerism. He attended official events in sandals and continued living on his small holding on the outskirts of Montevideo, where his prized possession was a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. In the 1960s, he co-founded the Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla movement Tupamaros, which started out robbing from the rich to give to the poor but later escalated its campaign to kidnappings, bombings and assassinations. During those years, Mujica lived a life of derring-do. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and took part in a mass prison breakout. But when the Tupamaros collapsed in 1972, he was recaptured and spent all of Uruguay's 1973-1985 dictatorship in prison, where he was tortured and spent years in solitary confinement. After his release, he threw himself into politics and in 1989 founded the MPP, the largest member of the leftist Broad Front coalition. Elected to congress in 1995, he became a senator in 2000 and then agriculture minister in Uruguay's first-ever left-wing government. As president, he was praised for his fight against poverty but criticized for failing to rein in public spending. He is survived by his wife Topolansky. They had no children. Mujica asked to be buried on his farm, next to his dog.
Iraqi News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Uruguay's ex-president Mujica dead at 89
Montevideo – Uruguay's leftist ex-leader Jose 'Pepe' Mujica, a cult figure for his modest lifestyle, has died after losing his battle with cancer, the government in Montevideo said Tuesday. 'With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,' the country's serving leader Yamandu Orsi said on X. On Monday, Mujica's wife Lucia Topolansky said the 89-year-old was in a 'terminal' phase of cancer and receiving palliative care. The former guerrilla was once known as the world's 'poorest president' for giving away most of his salary and driving an old Volkswagen Beetle while in office from 2010 to 2015. He also gained an international following for his firm anti-consumerist stance. On his watch, Uruguay passed a number of progressive laws — legalizing abortion and gay marriage, and becoming the first country in the world to allow recreational cannabis use, in 2013. Mujica was part of the MLN-Tupamaros rebels that waged an insurgency during the 1960s and 70s. Though popular, many Uruguayans blamed the group for provoking the 1973 military coup that ushered in a dictatorship that lasted until 1985. Mujica spent 12 years in prison during that time, much of it in solitary confinement. In January, Mujica said his cancer, diagnosed in the esophagus last year, had spread and he would stop treatment.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Uruguay's Mujica, world's ‘poorest president,‘ dies aged 89
MONTEVIDEO: Uruguay's former president Jose 'Pepe' Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter and hero of the Latin American left, has died at the age of 89, the government said Tuesday. The humble leader -- who once spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity -- lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January 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,' Uruguay's sitting president, Yamandu Orsi, posted on X. Leftist leaders from across Latin America and Europe paid tribute to the politician described by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as an 'example for Latin America and the entire world.' Gustavo Petro of Colombia -- himself a former guerrilla -- paid tribute to 'a great revolutionary.' The cardigan-wearing Mujica earned the moniker 'world's poorest president' during his 2010-2015 presidency for giving away much of his salary to charity and living a simple life on his farm, with his ex-guerrilla wife and three-legged dog. Mujica himself had rejected the title in a 2012 AFP interview. 'I do not live in poverty, I live in austerity... I need little to live,' he said. He transformed Uruguay, a country of 3.4 million people best known for football and beef, into a bastion of progressive politics on a continent plagued by corruption and strongman rule. In later life, he was disappointed at the authoritarian drift of some left-wing governments, accusing repressive leaders in Venezuela and Nicaragua of 'messing things up.' He was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in May last year, and it spread to his liver. His wife Lucia Topolansky said this week he was receiving palliative care. 'Humility and greatness' Tributes poured in from Latin America and beyond. Former Bolivian president Evo Morales hailed Mujica's 'experience and wisdom,' while Brazil's government bid farewell to 'one of the most important humanists of our time.' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Mujica had lived for 'a better world,' while Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo held him up as 'an example of humility and greatness.' Over the course of five years in power, Mujica legalized abortion and gay marriage and made Uruguay the first country to legalize the use of recreational cannabis. He continued to campaign for the left after his cancer diagnosis, working fervently for the successful election campaign of history teacher Orsi, his political heir. In a bar in Montevideo, Carlos Casal, a 71-year-old retiree, remembered Mujica as 'a good person' who was 'humble and hardworking.' From prison to politics The blunt-spoken, snowy-haired politician was a fierce critic of consumerism, and as president rejected the trappings of office. He attended official events in sandals and continued living on his small farm on the outskirts of Montevideo, where his prized possession was a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. In the 1960s, he co-founded the Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla movement Tupamaros, which started out robbing from the rich to give to the poor but later escalated its campaign to kidnappings, bombings and assassinations. During those years, Mujica lived a life of derring-do. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and took part in a mass prison breakout. But when the Tupamaros collapsed in 1972, he was recaptured and spent all of Uruguay's 1973-1985 dictatorship in prison, where he was tortured and spent years in solitary confinement. After his release, he threw himself into politics and in 1989 founded the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP), the largest member of the leftist Broad Front coalition. Elected to congress in 1995, he became a senator in 2000 and then agriculture minister in Uruguay's first-ever left-wing government. As president he was praised for his fight against poverty but criticized for failing to rein in public spending. He is survived by his wife Lucia Topolansky. They had no children. Mujica asked to be buried on his farm, next to his dog.
