Latest news with #José'Pepe'Mujica
Jordan News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
Death of the "World's Poorest President" - Jordan News
Death of the "World's Poorest President" Former Uruguayan President and Latin American leftist icon José 'Pepe' Mujica passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89, according to current President Yamandú Orsi. اضافة اعلان Mujica, a former guerrilla leader and President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, was known for his opposition to consumerism and became one of the most prominent leftist figures in Latin America. President Orsi wrote in a post on X, 'With great sorrow and grief, we mourn the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. The president, the activist, the leader, the guide. We will miss you dearly, dear old man,' according to Agence France-Presse. Nicknamed 'the world's poorest president' for donating nearly all of his income to social housing programs, Mujica revealed earlier this year that his esophageal cancer, diagnosed in May 2024, had spread throughout his body. He stated that his aging body could no longer endure treatment. At the time, he said, 'Clearly, I am dying. A warrior deserves to rest.' On Tuesday evening, a vehicle carrying his body departed from his home. Mujica: The Farmer Who Led Uruguay and Gave Up the Palace José Mujica refused to live in the presidential palace, opting instead to stay at his modest farm near the capital, Montevideo, throughout his presidency. He donated 90% of his salary and led Uruguay through major social and political transformations, earning him the global title of 'the world's poorest president.' Mujica governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 and chose a humble lifestyle, far removed from the trappings of power. He drove an old Volkswagen Beetle and kept only a small portion of his monthly salary—about $1,200—donating the rest to the poor and social organizations. In his youth, he joined the leftist Tupamaros movement and took up arms against the military dictatorship. He was imprisoned for 14 years, much of it in solitary confinement, where he endured both physical and psychological torture. Upon his release, he re-entered politics peacefully and was later elected president. During his presidency, he passed what were seen as revolutionary laws, including the legalization of marijuana under state supervision to curb drug trafficking. He championed openness, social justice, and support for farmers and the working class, reinforcing Uruguay's image as a stable democracy in Latin America. In media interviews, Mujica said poverty is not about lacking money, but 'a form of modern slavery.' He added, 'I am rich because I don't need much. I chose a simple life because I believe happiness cannot be bought.' Observers described him as the 'Mandela of Latin America' for his forgiveness after prison and the 'modern-day Gandhi' for his asceticism. However, Mujica rejected such comparisons, saying: 'I'm just a farmer.' He voluntarily stepped down after his term ended, refusing to seek re-election, affirming that power is 'a means, not an end.' He left behind a notable political and humanitarian legacy, and a model of leadership unlike any other in Latin America.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘World's poorest president' José ‘Pepe' Mujica dies aged 89
Uruguay's former president José 'Pepe' Mujica, a guerrilla fighter and cult hero for Left-wingers worldwide, has died at the age of 89. Mr Mujica had been put into palliative care earlier in May after a year-long battle with cancer of the oesophagus, which had spread to his liver. 'With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,'Yamandú Orsi, Uruguay's country's current president, said on X. 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.' Mr Mujica's journey from the Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group Tupamaros to mainstream politics, where his popularity stemmed from his trademark laconic philosophising, is unique in Latin American politics. Coinciding with the years of Uruguay's 1972-1985 dictatorship, Mr Mujica spent 13 years in prison, with more than half of this time confined in a tiny cell which he was allowed to leave only a couple of times a month to exercise. In that dark space without books or companionship, Mr Mujica said that he learnt to think. 'To keep myself sane, I began to remember things I'd read, things I'd thought when I was young. Later, I dedicated myself to changing the world, and I didn't read anything. I couldn't change the world, but what I'd read when I was young helped me,' he told the Spanish newspaper El País in an interview after his release. After entering politics as a senator in 2000, he would later become minister for livestock under Tabaré Vázquez, Uruguay's first Left-wing president. In November 2009 he won 53 per cent of the vote and was proclaimed president. During his single five-year term, as mandated by Uruguay's constitution, Mr Mujica legalised abortion, same-sex marriage and the use of marijuana. He won fame as the 'world's poorest president' for giving away much of his salary to charity, during his 2010-2015 presidency. He was known to attend 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. Even after he retired from politics in 2020, his chacra, or smallholding, continued to be a place of pilgrimage for Left-wing politicians, journalists and other admirers. Mr Mujica was a fierce critic of consumer culture and the environmental damage it has caused the planet. 'We have built self-exploiting societies. You have time to work but not to live,' he once said. He was diagnosed with cancer in May 2024. Mr Mujica is survived by his wife, Lucia Topolansky, whom he met when they were both guerrilla fighters. The couple did not have children. He asked before his death that he be buried on his farm, next to his dog.
Euronews
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Former Uruguayan President José Mujica dies at age of 89
Former Uruguayan President José 'Pepe' Mujica, who was famed for his humble lifestyle, has died at the age of 89. After spending almost 15 years in prison in his youth for being a guerrilla, Mujica, a flower farmer by trade, rose to political prominence in later life. Following his release from jail in an amnesty in 1985, he was elected to parliament in 1994 as part of the leftist Broad Front coalition. He later became a senator, before serving as the country's president from 2010 to 2015. His presidency was marked by his rejection of the usual trappings enjoyed by a head of state. Instead of living in the presidential palace, Mujica remained in his single-storey tin-roof house outside the capital Montevideo. He sometimes drove to work in his beaten-up blue 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. Under Mujica's leadership, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalise and fully regulate marijuana, and the second Latin American nation to allow same-sex marriages and decriminalise abortion. Although an immediate cause was not given for his death, Mujica was diagnosed last spring with oesophageal cancer, which had recently spread to his liver. His death led to an outpouring of messages from leftist leaders across Latin America. Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi expressed his deep sorrow at the death of his political mentor, whom he called a 'president, activist, guide and leader'. 'We will miss you greatly, dear old man. Thank you for everything you gave us and for your profound love for your people,' he said. Elsewhere, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum described the late Uruguayan leader as 'an example for Latin America and the entire world', while Chile's leftist President Gabriel Boric said Mujica instilled in people 'the unquenchable hope that things can be done better'. The Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, of the centre-left Semilla party, also paid tribute to him as 'an example of humility and greatness'. 'Your work and your words are a legacy, both a path and a hope,' he said. Mujica was born on 20 May 1935, in the outskirts of Montevideo. He said his mother, who was a flower merchant, instilled in him a love of politics, books and working the land. In the 1960s, he helped to set up the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement, a guerrilla movement which aimed to inspire an uprising that would lead to Cuban-style socialism in Uruguay. As part of their insurgency, the Tupamaros planted bombs, kidnapped civilians and carried out executions. Mujica always maintained that he did not commit murder. As violence in the country escalated, Mujica was shot six times in a firefight with police. He twice escaped custody, but spent long stretches in solitary confinement under the military dictatorship that ruled the country for 12 years from 1973. Two decades after he was released from prison, he became agricultural minister in 2005. Four years later he was elected as his country's 40th president, receiving 52% of the vote. Unable to seek reelection because of a constitutional ban on consecutive terms, Mujica left office in 2015 with an approval rating of 60%. Despite his popularity, the opposition complained that crime rose and the fiscal deficit increased during his tenure. Mujica is survived by his wife, Lucía Topolansky, who was also a guerrilla-turned-politician. The couple, who had been together for more than four decades, married in 2005 and had no children. The late Uruguayan leader was sometimes referred to as the 'world's poorest president' because of the modest way he lived. He rejected the title, saying instead that the real poor are those who crave more possessions.
Ammon
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Ammon
‘World's poorest president' dies aged 89
Ammon News - Uruguay's former president José 'Pepe' Mujica, a guerrilla fighter and cult hero for Left-wingers worldwide, has died at the age of Mujica had been put into palliative care earlier in May after a year-long battle with cancer of the oesophagus, which had spread to his liver.'With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,'Yamandú Orsi, Uruguay's country's current president, said on 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.'He won fame as the 'world's poorest president' for giving away much of his salary to charity, during his 2010-2015 was known to attend 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. Telegraph
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘World's poorest president' José ‘Pepe' Mujica dies aged 89
Uruguay's former president José 'Pepe' Mujica, a guerrilla fighter and cult hero for Left-wingers worldwide, has died at the age of 89 after a lengthy fight against cancer. 'With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,'Yamandú Orsi, Uruguay's country's current president, said on X. Mr Mujica's journey from the Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group Tupamaros to mainstream politics, where his popularity stemmed from his trademark laconic philosophising, is unique in Latin American politics. Coinciding with the years of Uruguay's 1972-1985 dictatorship, Mr Mujica spent 13 years in prison, with more than half of this time confined in a tiny cell which he was allowed to leave only a couple of times a month to exercise. In that dark space without books or companionship, Mr Mujica said that he learnt to think. 'To keep myself sane, I began to remember things I'd read, things I'd thought when I was young. Later, I dedicated myself to changing the world, and I didn't read anything. I couldn't change the world, but what I'd read when I was young helped me,' he told the Spanish newspaper El País in an interview after his release. After entering politics as a senator in 2000, he would later become minister for livestock under Tabaré Vázquez, Uruguay's first Left-wing president. In November 2009 he won 53 per cent of the vote and was proclaimed president. During his single five-year term, as mandated by Uruguay's constitution, Mr Mujica legalised abortion, same-sex marriage and the use of marijuana. He won fame as the 'world's poorest president' for giving away much of his salary to charity, during his 2010-2015 presidency. He was known to attend 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. Even after he retired from politics in 2020, his chacra, or smallholding, continued to be a place of pilgrimage for Left-wing politicians, journalists and other admirers. Mr Mujica was a fierce critic of consumer culture and the environmental damage it has caused the planet. 'We have built self-exploiting societies. You have time to work but not to live,' he once said. In May 2024, he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, which later spread to his liver. He is survived by his wife Lucia Topolansky, whom he met when they were both guerrilla fighters. The couple did not have children. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
