From prisoner to president: the life and times of José "Pepe" Mujica -

José Mujica has been described as the "world's poorest president." Voted in as Uruguay's head of state in 2010, Mujica served as the 40th president of Uruguay until 2015. During his term in office, he pushed through some groundbreaking reforms that radically altered the country's social landscape. Yet he eschewed the typical presidential lifestyle, giving away most of his salary to charity and opting to live on a farm instead of in a palace. More than that, his was a past fueled by revolutionary fervor: José Mujica was once a wanted guerilla fighter who ended up in jail as a victim of a brutal military dictatorship.

So, how exactly did a political prisoner become a popular president? Click through this gallery and learn more about the life and times of José Mujica.

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Elected as president of Uruguay -

When José Mujica was sworn in as president of Uruguay on March 1, 2010, it marked a new chapter in the already extraordinary life of a man considered an icon of the Latin American left.

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Life in politics -

Mujica had already served one term in the Chamber of Representatives, from 1995 to 2000, before being elected to the Senate in 2000. The Uruguayan politician was reelected to the Senate in 2004 and, in the process, was sworn in as Senate leader in February 2005.

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Political postings -

During Tabaré Vázquez's presidency, José Mujica was chosen as minister of livestock, agriculture, and fisheries, a post he held from 2005 to 2008.

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Presidential elections -

Presidential elections were held in Uruguay on October 25, 2009. Mujica, riding on a wave of popularity, decided to run against Luis Alberto Lacalle, who who had previously served as the 36th president of Uruguay from 1990 to 1995.

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Mujica declared the winner -

The first round of voting produced no outright winner. The runoff, however, secured Mujica 55% of the vote. On November 29, 2009, in Montevideo, Mujica was declared the winner.

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Controversial past -

His success at the polls was all the more remarkable given the fact that Mujica was a former guerilla fighter. In the mid-1960s, he'd joined the newly formed National Liberation Movement – Tupamaros (MLN-T), a Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group. It's a past Mujica was at pains to show was well behind him during his presidential campaign. But it's one that also shaped his character.

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Enemy of the state -

The principal goal of the MLN-T was to undermine Uruguay's repressive leadership. The Tupamaros soon turned to violence to achieve this. The organization was blamed for a series of arson attacks, political kidnappings, and assassinations of a number of police officers and some others. José Mujica is known to have taken part in several of these assaults. Pictured in 2022 is a cell in the house known as Carcel del Pueblo ("People's Prison") in a residential neighborhood of Montevideo. Carcel del Pueblo was used by Tupamaro guerrillas to hold hostages in the late 1960s.

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Shot and jailed -

In March 1970, after injuring two police officers while resisting arrest in a Montevideo bar, Mujica was shot six times and nearly died. He was later jailed, but escaped prison twice. In all, he spent a tortuous 14 years behind bars.

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Release from prison -

When he and other former MLN-T political prisoners were released by the authorities in March 1985 after constitutional democracy in Uruguay had been restored, television news crews were on hand to record the occasion. Mujica is pictured far left in the photograph.

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Freedom -

Mujica had been freed under an amnesty law that covered political and related military crimes committed since 1962.

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Joining the Broad Front coalition -

He and other Tupamaros later joined other left-wing organizations to create the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP), a political party that was accepted within the Broad Front (Frente Amplio) coalition. It was as a member of the Broad Front that José Mujica forged a career in politics.

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Uruguay prospers -

Known to many Uruguayans simply by his nickname "Pepe," José Mujica's term as president saw the Uruguayan economy continue to prosper. The country posted consistent growth in GDP and per capita GDP while maintaining low unemployment rates. Equally important in the eyes of many, Uruguay had achieved a social stability many other neighboring countries could only dream of.

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Austere lifestyle -

As president, José Mujica led a very unpresidential lifestyle. Throughout his term in office, he donated about 90% of his monthly salary, equivalent to US$12,000, to charities and insisted on living on a ramshackle farm on the outskirts of Montevideo owned by his wife, Lucía Topolansky.

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José Mujica and Lucía Topolansky -

"Pepe" had married Lucía Topolansky, a fellow former Tupamaros member, in 2005. As First Lady of Uruguay, she too declined to live in the presidential palace or to use its staff.

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"The world's poorest president" -

Both opted for a very austere existence, considering the high office they held. In fact, Mujica was described as "the world's poorest president."

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Simple life -

As head of state, Mujica eschewed the use of the presidential limo, instead preferring to drive his own 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. He still has the vehicle, seen here when he took Lula da Silva for a spin during a visit the Brazilian president made to his farm in 2023.

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Critic of capitalism -

Proud of his left-wing credentials, José Mujica has always been an outspoken critic of capitalism's focus on stockpiling material possessions, accumulated wealth that does little to contribute to human happiness.

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A philosophical ideology -

This philosophical ideology endeared Mujica to millions while he was in office, and still does today.

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Progressive legislation -

Early into his term, President José Mujica's administration introduced progressive, though controversial, legislation that considerably altered Uruguay's social landscape.

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Government regulations -

In December 2013, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives outlining a framework for government regulation of marijuana production, sales, and consumption. This was after President Mujica had proposed that the government legalize and distribute marijuana to cut off revenue to drug dealers. By the end of the month, the bill had been signed into law.

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New measures signed into law -

The previous year, in October 2012, Uruguay had become the first South American country to allow abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy. In May 2013, President Mujica signed a bill that made Uruguay the second country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage, after Argentina in 2010.

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On the world stage -

His presidency afforded José Mujica a platform on the world stage. In September 2013, the president addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In an impassioned speech he urged the international community to strengthen efforts to preserve the planet for future generations.

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Meeting in the White House -

He was back on American soil in May 2014 for talks with US President Barack Obama. Meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, the two leaders discussed growing bilateral economic ties and expanding collaboration in technology, science, and health.

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Celebrity status -

His unassuming manner and charitable outlook on life made President Mujica a favorite with visiting international celebrities. Hollywood actor Sean Penn met him in 2012, and in 2013 three members of Aerosmith—Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Brad Whitford—presented him with a signed guitar before their concert in Montevideo.

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Honors and awards -

While in office, Mujica was the recipient of several honors and awards, among them the Order of the Aztec Eagle, conferred on him by the Mexican president, Enrique Pena Nieto, on January 28, 2014. It's the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners for their services to humankind.

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Life after the presidency -

And after stepping down from office, the former Uruguayan president was still being feted by Latin American leaders. As recently as December 2024, he received the National Order of the Southern Cross from his old friend, Brazil's President Lula da Silva, who made another visit to his home for the occasion.

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Domestic bliss -

Uruguayan law meant José "Pepe" Mujica was not allowed to seek reelection in 2014. His wife Lucía, however, went on to serve as the 17th Vice President of Uruguay from September 2017 to March 2020, under Tabaré Vázquez's second term in office.

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Farming at home -

In April 2024, Mujica announced that he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which he has since revealed has spread and is terminal. The former president and revolutionary now spends his days with his wife at their smallholding, maintaining that he is a farmer and nature lover above all else.

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Tending the garden -

When he's not feeding the chickens, this icon of the Latin American left grows vegetables including garlic, onions, and pumpkin in their garden.

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Regrets -

His only regrets appear to be the lack of commitment demonstrated by governments in tackling climate change and the absence of a global policy to protect the environment.

Sources: (Reuters) (Britannica) (BBC) (Vice) (United Nations) (The Guardian) (Búsqueda)

See also: How climate change already impacts our daily lives

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