Uruguay’s Former President José Mujica, Known for Humble Life, Dies at 89

• May 14, 2025

José Mujica, Uruguay’s former president famous for his modest lifestyle and called the “world’s poorest president,” has died at the age of 89. Current President Yamandú Orsi announced Mujica’s passing, thanking him for his deep love for the Uruguayan people. Although the exact cause of death was not given, Mujica had been battling esophageal cancer.

Mujica led Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 and became globally known for rejecting luxuries, criticizing consumerism, and pushing progressive reforms. Under his leadership, Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational marijuana, alongside approving same-sex marriage and legalizing abortion. These reforms earned him respect far beyond Uruguay, a country with just 3.4 million people, though his legacy remained debated at home.

Despite his image as an outsider, Mujica had a long political history. Raised in a middle-class Montevideo home, he first joined the conservative National Party. In the 1960s, he helped form the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement, a leftist guerrilla group inspired by the Cuban revolution. The group carried out kidnappings, assaults, and armed resistance against what they viewed as an increasingly authoritarian government. Mujica was captured four times, survived six gunshot wounds, and escaped prison twice, once through a tunnel with 105 other prisoners.

Following a military coup in 1973, Mujica spent over 14 years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement and harsh conditions. He later described those years as a time when he experienced madness and spoke to ants to stay sane. His release in 1985, after Uruguay’s return to democracy, was, in his words, the happiest moment of his life—far more meaningful than becoming president.

After prison, Mujica entered mainstream politics, serving as a lawmaker and minister before his presidential election in 2010. During his term, Uruguay's economy grew steadily, poverty declined, and unemployment stayed low. Despite his personal austerity, his government expanded public spending, leading to criticism over a rising fiscal deficit and unresolved issues in education.

Mujica famously lived in a simple home, drove an old Volkswagen Beetle, and donated much of his salary. Though the media called him the “world’s poorest president,” he rejected the label, saying, “Poor are those who want more because they’re in an endless race.”

Unlike many leaders, Mujica left office with high approval ratings and no corruption scandals. Even after stepping down, he remained active, traveling and reflecting on his unusual place in world politics.