Latin Analysis: José Mujica and The Legacy of the ‘World’s Poorest President’
Laura Lezza
Known as the ‘world’s poorest president’, ex-guerrilla fighter turned elected politician and President of Uruguay, José ‘Pepe’ Mujica, died last week, following a battle with esophageal cancer. His death, announced by his political protégé and current President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, made national and international news platforms, once again pushing this ‘man of the people’ politician into the spotlight, who never seemed to succumb to the allure of presidential privileges. Discussions have been had over who ‘Pepe’ really was, as he was affectionately known, and what his legacy will be. One thing is for certain however, Mujica put Uruguay on the map, and the mark he made on the country’s politics will persist into the future.
Radicalized by the marked wealth gap he witnessed during his childhood in Uruguay and the 1959 Cuban Revolution, Mujica was drawn into guerrilla warfare and armed struggle during his youth, seeing it as the only way to effect social and political progress. Although the government at the time was democratic, it faced various accusations from the left of being authoritarian. Therefore, he helped to set up the National Youth Movement- a rebel group known as the Tupamoras- which made a name for themselves through acts such as bombings, bank robberies and kidnappings to fund their movement. In 1969, they briefly occupied the town of Pando but never came close to seizing power in Uruguay. In fact, Mujica- like many of his comrades- ended up imprisoned on several occasions, and he was even badly wounded and captured during a shoot-out with police. He escaped from prison twice, and one of these attempts formed part of one of the largest prison escapes in Uruguay’s history. Later in life, Mujica admitted that his involvement in such acts was a mistake, although he consistently maintained that he never committed murder. However, he stopped short of offering an apology.
Mujica’s life as a revolutionary got increasingly more difficult once the rightwing military regime took power in Uruguay in 1973. He, alongside eight of his comrades, was imprisoned for a decade, experiencing untold suffering and torture, including extended periods in solitary confinement at the bottom of wells. Understandably, this cruel treatment pushed Mujica and his counterparts to their physical and mental limits and nearly broke the resolve of this determined freedom fighter. Only in 1985, when democracy returned to the country, were Mujica and his colleagues released under an amnesty law. This experience appeared to have changed Mujica; rather than its embittering him and making him even more dogmatic, it seemed to teach him about the importance of national reconciliation for building a more equal Uruguay, and the futility of hatred. On one occasion, during a speech in the Senate, he explained that his detention reinforced to him that “[h]ate makes us stupid, because it makes us lose our objectivity.” The lessons that he learnt from this trauma informed his politics going forward as well as his sense of self, strengthening his belief in fighting for a more equal country for everyone.
Mujica never returned to his guerrilla past after being granted his freedom, opting to focus his efforts on electoral politics. He played a key role in expanding the leftwing Frente Amplio – Broad Front- coalition (which would eventually become the springboard from which he would launch his presidential bid) and was elected as a lawmaker in both the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. Thus, he quickly became “a symbol to a generation of political leaders helping to steer their countries out of military dictatorships during the latter half of the 20th century”, many of whom had similar revolutionary pasts. In 2005, he was given the role of minister in the first Frente Amplio government, and by 2010, at 74 years old, he became President with 52 per cent of the vote, despite concerns over his age and guerrilla fighter history.
Mujica’s presidency, as one of many left-wing politicians lifted to power at that time across the continent during the so-called ‘marea rosa’ (pink tide), will forever be characterized by his progressive policies- including the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and marijuana- as well as reducing poverty and the wealth inequality in Uruguay which radicalized him as a child. For example, when Mujica took power in 2010, 18.5 per cent of the population lived in poverty. At the end of his presidency, this figure sat at just 9.7 per cent. This led to The Economist naming Uruguay its first ever ‘country of the year’, with commentators arguing that Mujica cultivated a kind of “Uruguay mania”.
However, the real power of Mujica’s presidency lay in his determination remain a ‘man of the people’, maintaining a humble lifestyle, donating 80 per cent of his presidential salary, refusing to wear a shirt and tie or live in the presidential palace, and became synonymous with the Beetle he was often seen driving around in. For many, his car came to symbolize his rejection of luxury and the trappings of political elitism. For many, this was the greatest gift that he gave during his time in power; he embodied the idea that a different form of government and leadership was possible, one far removed from politicians marred by corruption which had contribution to a large scale disillusionment with traditional politics. Mujica did not just say he was one of the people, he embodied it, something that inevitably contributed to his nearly 70 per cent approval rating by the end of his administration, despite being criticized for failing to address the education crisis (which was one of his key campaign promises) and for worsening the fiscal deficit while pursuing austerity measures, due to continuing to increase public spending.
The end of Mujica’s administration did not signify that his contributions to Uruguayan political life was over. On the contrary, Mujica and his long-term partner Lucía Topolansky, another ex-guerrilla fighter who served as Vice President between 2017-2020, continued to play a key role in politics. He became a mentor to current President of Uruguay Yamandú Orsi, endorsing him during his campaign. It appears that Orsi’s links to the former president served him well during the elections; despite Latin America becoming increasingly hostile to left-wing politicians and ideas in countries like Colombia, Chile and Brazil, with the right capitalizing on this disaffection, center-left Orsi was victorious in the November 2024 Presidential Elections on the same Frente Amplio platform that Mujica helped to create.
José ‘Pepe’ Mujica’s contributions to Uruguay cannot be underestimated and has become synonymous with the changes that the country’s political situation has undergone over the last half century. He will be remembered for many things; his revolutionary past, his progressive politics as President which altered the social landscape of the country, and how he inspired a whole generation of left-wing Uruguayans, including the current President. However, one cannot deny that the real power of Mujica’s career lies in his rejection of luxury, excess and presidential privileges. He claimed to live among his people, and that he did. He proved that another type of politician existed, one that had his finger on the pulse and truly stood shoulder to shoulder with his fellow countrymen and women. He was never impressed or led astray by wealth or riches and is a true example of what a real ‘people’s president’ can be.
