Uruguay's José Mujica, world's 'poorest president', dies

Former Uruguayan President José Mujica, known arsenic "Pepe", has died astatine the property of 89.

The ex-guerrilla who governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 was known arsenic the world's "poorest president" due to the fact that of his humble lifestyle.

Current President Yamandú Orsi announced his predecessor's decease connected X, writing: "thank you for everything you gave us and for your deep love for your people."

The politician's origin of decease is not known but helium had been suffering from oesophageal cancer.

Because of the elemental mode helium lived arsenic president, his disapproval of consumerism and the societal reforms helium promoted - which, among different things, meant Uruguay became the archetypal state to legalise the recreational usage of marijuana - Mujica became a well-known governmental fig successful Latin America and beyond.

His planetary popularity is antithetic for a president of Uruguay, a state with conscionable 3.4 cardinal inhabitants wherever his bequest has besides generated immoderate controversy.

In fact, adjacent though galore tended to spot Mujica arsenic idiosyncratic extracurricular the governmental class, that was not the case.

He said his passionateness for politics, arsenic good arsenic for books and moving the land, was passed connected to him by his mother, who raised him successful a middle-class location successful Montevideo, the superior city.

As a young man, Mujica was a subordinate of the National Party, 1 of Uruguay's accepted governmental forces, which aboriginal became the centre-right absorption to his government.

In the 1960s, helium helped acceptable up the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement (MLN-T), a leftist municipality guerrilla radical that carried retired assaults, kidnappings and executions, though helium ever maintained that helium did not perpetrate immoderate murder.

Influenced by the Cuban gyration and planetary socialism, the MLN-T launched a run of clandestine absorption against the Uruguayan government, which astatine the clip was law and democratic, though the near accused it of being progressively authoritarian.

During this period, Mujica was captured 4 times. On 1 of those occasions, successful 1970, helium was changeable six times and astir died.

He escaped from situation twice, connected 1 juncture done a passageway with 105 different MLN-T prisoners, successful 1 of the largest escapes successful Uruguayan situation history.

When the Uruguayan subject staged a coup successful 1973, they included him successful a radical of "nine hostages" who they threatened to termination if the guerrillas continued their attacks.

During the much than 14 years helium spent successful situation during the 1970s and 1980s, helium was tortured and spent astir of that clip successful harsh conditions and isolation, until helium was freed successful 1985 erstwhile Uruguay returned to democracy.

He utilized to accidental that during his clip successful prison, helium experienced madness archetypal hand, suffering from delusions and adjacent talking to ants.

The time helium was freed was his happiest memory, helium says: "Becoming president was insignificant compared to that."

From guerrilla to president

A fewer years aft his release, helium served arsenic a lawmaker, some successful the Chamber of Representatives and successful the Senate, the country's little and precocious houses respectively.

In 2005, helium became curate successful the archetypal authorities of the Frente Amplio, the Uruguayan leftist coalition, earlier becoming Uruguay's president successful 2010.

He was 74 years aged astatine the time, and, to the remainder of the world, inactive unknown.

His predetermination marked an important infinitesimal for the Latin American left, which was already beardown connected the continent astatine that time. Mujica became person alongside different left-wing presidents specified arsenic Luis Inácio Lula da Silva successful Brazil and Hugo Chávez successful Venezuela.

However, Mujica governed successful his ain way, demonstrating pragmatism and audacity connected respective occasions, governmental commentators say.

During his administration, amid a reasonably favourable planetary context, the Uruguayan system grew astatine an mean yearly complaint of 5.4%, poorness was reduced, and unemployment remained low.

Uruguay besides drew planetary attraction for the societal laws passed by parliament during those years, specified arsenic the legalisation of abortion, the designation of same-sex marriage, and authorities regularisation of the marijuana market.

While successful office, Mujica rejected moving into the statesmanlike residence (a mansion), arsenic heads of authorities astir the satellite usually do.

Instead, helium remained with his woman - person and erstwhile guerrilla Lucía Topolansky - successful their humble location connected the outskirts of Montevideo, with nary home assistance and small security.

This combined with the information that helium ever dressed casually, that helium was often seen driving his airy bluish 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and gave distant a ample information of his salary, led immoderate media outlets to telephone him "the world's poorest president".

But Mujica ever rejected that title: "They accidental I'm the poorest president. No, I'm not," helium told maine successful a 2012 interrogation astatine his home. "Poor are those who privation much [...] due to the fact that they're successful an endless race."

Despite Mujica preaching austerity, his authorities did importantly summation nationalist spending, widening the fiscal shortage and starring his opponents to impeach him of waste.

Mujica was besides criticised for failing to reverse the increasing problems successful Uruguayan education, contempt having promised that acquisition would beryllium a apical precedence for his administration.

However, dissimilar different leaders successful the region, helium was ne'er accused of corruption oregon of undermining his country's democracy.

By the extremity of his administration, Mujica had a precocious home popularity standing (close to 70%) and was elected senator, but besides spent portion of his clip travelling the satellite aft helium stepped down arsenic president.

"So what it is that catches the world's attention? That I unrecorded with precise little, a elemental house, that I thrust astir successful an aged car? Then this satellite is brainsick due to the fact that it's amazed by [what is] normal," helium reflected earlier leaving office.

Mujica retired from authorities successful 2020 though helium remained a cardinal fig successful Uruguay.

His governmental heir, Yamandú Orsi, was elected president of Uruguay successful November 2024 and his radical wrong the Frente Amplio obtained the largest fig of parliamentary seats since the country's instrumentality to democracy.

Last year, Mujica announced helium had crab and references to his property and the inexorable proximity of decease became much predominant - but helium ever accepted the last result arsenic thing natural, without drama.

In the past interrogation helium gave the BBC successful November past year, helium said: "One knows that decease is inevitable. And possibly it's similar the brackish of life."