Mujica was a former guerrilla fighter who spent over a decade in prison for his revolutionary efforts.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Uruguayan president, Jose “Pepe” Mujica has passed on.
Mujica, a former guerrilla fighter who spent over a decade in prison for his revolutionary efforts, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89 after a battle with cancer.
Announcing his demise, Uruguay’s current President, Yamandu Orsi, wrote on X: “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica president, activist, guide, and leader. We will miss you dearly, old friend.”
His government also declared three days of national mourning and announced that Mujica’s body would lie in state at the legislative palace starting Wednesday.
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.
In January, he revealed that his illness had advanced and he would no longer pursue treatment.
Also paying tribute to him, Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said Mujica’s impact transcended the borders of Uruguay.
“His human greatness transcended the borders of Uruguay and his presidential mandate. The wisdom of his words formed a true song of unity and fraternity for Latin America,” he said.
As the president of Uruguay, he was praised for his fight against poverty but criticized for failing to rein in public spending.
Mujica, who is survived by his wife Topolansky, asked to be buried on his farm, next to his dog.
