José Mujica

President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015

For the baseball player, see José Mujica (baseball).

"El Pepe" redirects here. For the documentary about him, see El Pepe: A Supreme Life.

José Mujica

Mujica in 2011

President of Uruguay
In office
1 March 2010 – 1 March 2015
Vice President| Danilo Astori
Preceded by| Tabaré Vázquez
Succeeded by| Tabaré Vázquez

Other offices held
1995–2020

President pro tempore of UNASUR
In role
4 December 2014 – 1 March 2015
Preceded by| Dési Bouterse
Succeeded by| Tabaré Vázquez
Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries
In office
1 March 2005 – 3 March 2008
President| Tabaré Vázquez
Preceded by| Martín Aguirrezabala
Succeeded by| Ernesto Agazzi
Senator of Uruguay
In office
15 February 2020 – 20 October 2020
In office
1 March 2015 – 14 August 2018
In office
15 February 2000 – 1 March 2005
National Representative
In office
15 February 1995 – 15 February 2000
Constituency| Montevideo
Second Gentleman of Uruguay
In role
13 September 2017 – 1 March 2020
Vice President| Lucía Topolansky
Preceded by| María Belén Bordone Faedo
Succeeded by| Jorge Fernández Reyes

Personal details
Born|

José Alberto Mujica Cordano

(1935-05-20)20 May 1935
Montevideo, Uruguay
Died| 13 May 2025(2025-05-13) (aged 89)
Montevideo, Uruguay
Political party| MPP (1989-2025)
Other political
affiliations|

* Broad Front
* Tupamaros (1966–1972)

Spouse|

Lucía Topolansky

(m. 2005)​

Occupation|

* Politician
* farmer

Signature|

José Alberto "Pepe" Mujica Cordano[a][b] (20 May 1935 - 13 May 2025) was a Uruguayan politician, revolutionary and farmer who served as the 40th president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015.[1] A former guerrilla with the Tupamaros, he was tortured and imprisoned for 14 years during the military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s. A member of the Broad Front coalition of left-wing parties, Mujica was Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries from 2005 to 2008 and a Senator afterwards. As the candidate of the Broad Front, he won the 2009 presidential election and took office as president on 1 March 2010.

Mujica's administration implemented a range of progressive policies, including the decriminalization of abortion, the legalization of marijuana consumption and the legalization of same-sex marriage. Additional measures strengthened the country's trade unions and significantly bolstered minimum wages.[2]

During his time in office, Mujica was described as "the world's poorest president" due to his austere lifestyle and his donation of around 90 percent of his US$12,000 monthly salary to charities that support low-income individuals and small entrepreneurs.[3][4] He was an outspoken critic of capitalism's focus on stockpiling material possessions which do not contribute to human happiness.[5][6]

## Early life

[edit]

José Alberto Mujica Cordano was born on 20 May 1935 in the Paso de la Arena neighbourhood of Montevideo to Demetrio Mujica Terra and Lucy Cordano Giorello.[7] Demetrio was a descendant of a Spanish Basque family who arrived in Uruguay in 1842.[8][9] Through his paternal grandmother, Mujica is a distant relative of several prominent Uruguayan politicians, including Gabriel Terra, who served as the country's 26th president between 1931 and 1938.[10] Demetrio's parents owned several agricultural properties[discuss], which were used as training grounds for soldiers to combat the uprisings led by revolutionary leader Aparicio Saravia.[11] A farmer by profession, Demetrio went bankrupt shortly before his death in 1940 when José was five years old. Lucy was born in Carmelo to impoverished Italian immigrants from Liguria, with origins in the municipality of Favale di Malvaro in the former province of Genoa. Upon her birth, her parents had bought 2 hectares (4.9 acres) in Colonia Estrella, a small town in the Colonia Department, to cultivate vineyards.[12][13] Her father was an active member of the National Party and a follower of Herrerism, and he was selected on several occasions as an alderman for Colonia and became closely acquainted with Luis Alberto de Herrera.[11]

Upon completing his primary and secondary studies, Mujica enrolled at the Alfredo Vásquez Acevedo Institute for his undergraduate studies, but did not finish. Between the ages of 13 and 17, Mujica cycled for several clubs in different categories.[11]

Mujica's maternal uncle, Ángel Cordano, was also a member of the National Party and had a prominent influence on Mujica's political formation. In 1956, Mujica met politician Enrique Erro through his mother, who was a militant in the same sector. From then on, Mujica began to actively support the National Party, eventually becoming its general secretary.[11]

The National Party won most of the seats in the senate during the 1958 general election, upon which Erro was appointed Minister of Labor, serving from 1959 to 1960, with Mujica accompanying him, although he did not become an official in the ministry. In 1962, both Erro and Mujica left the National Party to create the Unión Popular, a left-wing party, in collaboration with the Socialist Party. In the 1962 election, they nominated Emilio Frugoni as their candidate for president, but lost decisively, receiving only 2.3% of the total votes.[11]

## Guerrilla

[edit]

See also: Tupamaros

In the mid-1960s, Mujica joined the newly formed MLN-Tupamaros movement, a far-left armed political group inspired by the Cuban Revolution.[14] He participated in the brief 1969 takeover of Pando, a town close to Montevideo, leading one of six squads assaulting strategic points in the city. Mujica's team was charged with taking over the telephone exchange and was the only one to complete the operation without any mishaps.[15] In March 1970 Mujica was gunned down while resisting arrest at a Montevideo bar; he injured two policemen and was in turn shot six times. The surgeon on call at the hospital saved his life. Tupamaros claimed that the surgeon was secretly Tupamaro and this is why his life was saved. In reality the doctor was simply following ordinary medical ethics.[16] At the time, the president of Uruguay was the controversial Jorge Pacheco Areco, who had suspended certain constitutional guarantees in response to MLN and Communist unrest.[17][18]

Mujica was captured by the authorities on four occasions. He was among the more than 100 Tupamaros who escaped Punta Carretas Prison in September 1971 by digging a tunnel from inside the prison that led to the living room of a nearby home.[19] Mujica was re-captured less than a month after escaping, but escaped Punta Carretas once more in April 1972. On that occasion he and about a dozen other escapees fled riding improvised wheeled planks down the tunnel dug by Tupamaros from outside the prison.[20] He was re-apprehended for the last time in 1972, unable to resist arrest. In the months that followed, the country underwent the military coup of 1973. In the meantime, Mujica and eight other Tupamaros were especially chosen to remain under military custody and in squalid conditions. In all, he spent 13 years in captivity. During the 1970s and 1980s, this included being confined to the bottom of an old, emptied horse-watering trough for more than two years.[21][22] During his time in prison, Mujica had a number of health problems, particularly mental issues. Although his two closest cellmates, Eleuterio Fernández Huidobro and Mauricio Rosencof, often managed to communicate with each other, they rarely managed to bring Mujica into the conversation. According to Mujica himself, at the time he was experiencing auditory hallucinations and related forms of paranoia.[23]

In 1985, when constitutional democracy was restored, Mujica was freed under an amnesty law that covered political and related military crimes committed since 1962. Several years after the restoration of democracy, Mujica and many Tupamaros joined other left-wing organizations to create the Movement of Popular Participation [MPP],[24] a political party that was accepted within the Broad Front coalition.[25]

## Early career and 2009 presidential campaign

[edit]

Minister Mujica (next to Tabaré Vázquez, left row) at a meeting with George W. Bush in 2007

In the 1994 general elections, Mujica was elected deputy and in the elections of 1999 he was elected senator.[26] Due in part to Mujica's charisma, the MPP continued to grow in popularity and votes, and by 2004, it had become the largest faction within the Broad Front.[26] In the elections of that year, Mujica was re-elected to the Senate, and the MPP obtained over 300,000 votes, thus consolidating its position as the top political force within the coalition and a major force behind the victory of presidential candidate Tabaré Vázquez. On 1 March 2005, Vázquez designated Mujica as the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (Mujica's own professional background was in the agricultural sector). Upon becoming minister, Mujica resigned his position as senator. He held this position until a cabinet change in 2008, when he resigned and was replaced by Ernesto Agazzi. Mujica then returned to his seat in the Senate.[26]

### 2009 presidential campaign

[edit]

Main article: 2009 Uruguayan general election

Even though President Vázquez favored his Finance Minister Danilo Astori as the presidential candidate of the then-unified Broad Front to succeed him in 2010, Mujica's broad appeal and growing support within the party posed a challenge to the president. On 14 December 2008, a special party convention proclaimed Mujica as the official candidate of the Broad Front for the 2009 primary elections, but four more precandidates were allowed to participate, including Astori. On 28 June 2009, Mujica won the primary elections to become the presidential candidate of the Broad Front for the 2009 presidential election. After that, Astori agreed to be his running mate. Their campaign was centered on the concept of continuing and deepening the policies of the highly popular administration of Vázquez, using the slogan Un gobierno honrado, un país de primera ("An honorable government, a first-class country") – indirectly referencing cases of administrative corruption within the former government of the major opposition candidate, conservative Luis Alberto Lacalle. During the campaign, Mujica distanced himself from the governing style of presidents like Hugo Chávez of Venezuela or Evo Morales of Bolivia, claiming the center-left governments of Brazilian Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva or Chilean socialist Michelle Bachelet as regional examples upon which he would model his administration. Known for his informal style of dress, Mujica donned a suit (without a tie) for some stops in the presidential campaign, notably during visits to regional heads of state.[27]

In October 2009, Mujica won a plurality of over 48 percent of the votes compared to 30 percent for former president Lacalle, falling short of the majority required by the constitution, while at the same time renewing the Broad Front's parliamentary majority for the next legislature (2010–2015). A runoff was then held on 29 November to determine the winner; on 30 November Mujica emerged as the victor, with more than 52% of the vote over Lacalle's 43%.[28] In his first speech as president-elect before a crowd of supporters, Mujica acknowledged his political adversaries and called for unity, stating that there would be "no winners or losers". He added that "it is a mistake to think that power comes from above when it comes from within the hearts of the masses (...) it has taken me a lifetime to learn this fact".[29]

## Presidency (2010–2015)

[edit]

Main article: Presidency of José Mujica

Mujica with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in 2010

Mujica formed a cabinet made up of politicians from the different components of the Broad Front, conceding the area of economics to aides of his vice president Danilo Astori.[citation needed]

In June 2012, Mujica's government made a controversial move to legalize state-controlled sales of marijuana in Uruguay in order to fight drug-related crimes and health issues, and stated that global leaders would be asked to do the same.[30][31] Mujica said that by regulating Uruguay's estimated US$40 million-a-year marijuana business, the state would take it away from drug traffickers and weaken the drug cartels. The state would also be able to keep track of all marijuana consumers in the country and provide treatment to the most serious abusers, much like the treatment afforded to alcoholics.[32] Mujica also passed a same-sex marriage law[33] and legalized abortion.[34]

Mujica with Barack Obama in the Oval Office in 2014

In September 2013, Mujica addressed the United Nations General Assembly's 68th session, with a long speech devoted to humanity and globalization.[35] The speech called on the international community to strengthen efforts to preserve the planet for future generations and highlighted the power of the financial systems and the impact of economic fallout on ordinary people. He urged a return to simplicity, with lives founded on human relationships, love, friendship, adventure, solidarity and family, instead of lives shackled to the economy and the markets.[36]

In general terms, its policy was in line with the previous mandate. The share of social expenditure in total public expenditure thus rose from 60.9% to 75.5% between 2004 and 2013. During this period, the unemployment rate remained at about 7%, the national poverty rate was reduced from 18% to 9.7% and the minimum wage was raised from 4,800 pesos to 10,000 pesos (average annual inflation rate of 7%) and government debt rose from 59% to 65%. It also supported the strengthening of trade unions. According to the International Trade Union Confederation, Uruguay became the most advanced country in the Americas in terms of respect for "fundamental labor rights, in particular freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike".[37]

Mujica was barred from running for re-election in the 2014 election; the Uruguayan Constitution does not allow presidents to run for immediate re-election. Thus, on 1 March 2015, Mujica's term as president came to an end. He was succeeded by Vázquez, who returned to office for a second non-consecutive term.[38] According to BBC correspondent Wyre Davies, "Mujica left office with a relatively healthy economy and with social stability those bigger neighbours could only dream of."[39]

## Post-presidency (2015–2025)

[edit]

Mujica continued to serve as a senator after his presidency from 2015 until 2020. Before the 2019 general election, Broad Front candidate Daniel Martínez considered Mujica as a possible choice to serve as Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries if he were to be elected president.[40]

On 20 October 2020, Mujica resigned from the Senate—alongside fellow former president Julio María Sanguinetti—and announced his retirement from politics due to the COVID-19 pandemic and because of his age; Mujica was 85 years old at the time of his announcement. His seat in the Senate was taken by Alejandro Sánchez Pereira.[41]

## Political positions

[edit]

Mujica's political ideology evolved over the years from orthodox to pragmatist. In later years he expressed a desire for a more flexible political left.[42] His speaking style and manner were credited as part of his growing popularity since the late 1990s, especially among rural and poor sectors of the population.[43] He was variously described as an "antipolitician"[44] and a man who "speaks the language of the people" while also receiving criticism for untimely or inappropriate remarks.[45] Unlike President Vázquez, who vetoed a bill put forward by parliament that would make abortions legal, Mujica stated that were it to come before him in the future, he would not veto such a bill.[46] In the sphere of international relations, he hoped to further negotiations and agreements between the European Union and the regional trade bloc Mercosur, of which Uruguay is a founding member.[47] On the Uruguay River pulp mill dispute between Argentina and Uruguay, Mujica was more conciliatory toward the Argentine government than the previous administration, and in 2010 the two nations ended their long-running dispute and signed an agreement detailing an environmental monitoring plan of the river and the setting up of a binational commission. Good personal relations between Mujica and Argentinian counterpart Cristina Fernández de Kirchner helped lead to the accord. Other bilateral issues remained unsolved, including the dredging of the shared access channel of the River Plate.[48][49]

Mujica with Alberto Fernández in 2023

He was close to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, whom he considered to be "the most generous ruler I have ever known". In 2011, he spoke out against the military operations launched by several Western countries against Libya.[50] When asked about Brazilian President Lula da Silva's decision to warmly welcome Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he answered it was a "genius move" because "the more Iran is fenced in, the worse it will be for the rest of the world".[51][52]

During a talk at the 28th Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico on 7 December 2014, Mujica was interviewed by Mexican journalist Ricardo Rocha [es]. He addressed several topics, such as drug trafficking, drug legalization, poverty, and social injustice: "We live on the most unjust continent in the world, probably the richest, but with the worst distribution [of wealth]." On Latin America, Mujica stated that he was "passionate about bringing Latin Americans together, about what defines us as belonging to a great nation that is to be created. There are multinational states, like China, like India, like what Europe is doing after a history of wars." Mujica also addressed the question of the shared linguistic heritage of Latin Americans, remarking with respect to the region's two major languages that "Portugese is a sweet Spanish, if you speak it slowly... and even more so if it has a feminine sweetness." And he pointed out another element that unites the countries in Latin America: "We have another identity: the Christian and Catholic tradition." He concluded his talk by adding: "I see that there are many young people here; as an old man, a little advice: Life can set us a lot of snares, a lot of bumps, we can fail a thousand times, in life, in love, in the social struggle, but, if we search for it, we'll have the strength to get up again and start over. The most beautiful thing about the day is that it dawns. There is always a dawn after the night has passed. Don't forget it, kids. The only losers are the ones who stop fighting."[53]

Mujica with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in 2014

After leaving the presidency, Mujica criticized the left-wing regimes of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua and Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela for authoritarianism while opposing foreign intervention in the crisis in Venezuela. He also criticized former presidents Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in Argentina and Evo Morales in Bolivia for their political activity after leaving office, saying "How hard it is for them to let go of the cake!". He also described the election of Javier Milei as president of Argentina as "madness" and drew comparisons with Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1930s Germany and the hyperinflation that preceded it.[54] He also referred to Vladimir Putin as a "son of a bitch" and claimed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could have been avoided.[55]

## Personal life

[edit]

Mujica and his wife, Lucía Topolansky, in 2023 Mujica with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his 1987 Volkswagen Beetle in 2023

In 2005, Mujica married Lucía Topolansky, a fellow former Tupamaros member, after many years of living together. They had no children and resided on a farm owned by Topolansky on the outskirts of Montevideo, where they cultivated chrysanthemums for sale. The couple owned several pets, formerly including a three-legged dog, Manuela.[56] Topolansky briefly served as acting president in November 2010 while her husband took part in a business delegation in Spain and then-vice president Danilo Astori was on an official trip to Antarctica. Before then, she served in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.[57]

Mujica drew worldwide attention for his simple lifestyle.[3][58][59][60][61][62] He declined to live in the presidential palace or to use its staff during his presidency and used a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and his 60-year-old bicycle as means of transportation.[63][64] In 2010, the value of the car was US$1,800 and represented the entirety of the mandatory annual personal wealth declaration filed by Mujica for that year. In November 2014, the Uruguayan newspaper Búsqueda reported that he had been offered US$1,000,000 for the car; he said that if he did receive the US$1,000,000 for the car, it would be donated to house the homeless through a program that he supported.[65]

Mujica's religious beliefs were the subject of interest and speculation by the press.[66] In an interview with the BBC in November 2012, he stated, "I don't have a religion, but I am almost pantheistic; I admire nature." In a letter sent to Hugo Chávez in December 2012 wishing him a speedy recovery, he clarified that although he was "not a believer", he would call for a mass so that those who wanted to express their wishes for his health could do so.[67] Mujica and Topolansky were both absent at the papal inauguration of Pope Francis in 2013. Topolansky clarified that their absence from the ceremony was because they "are not believers". Astori, who was a Catholic, attended the ceremony on their behalf. These statements led the press to generally consider Mujica one of the only two openly atheist presidents in the Americas, alongside Cuba's Raúl Castro.[68][69] In a 2017 interview, Mujica discussed his beliefs: "My doubts with God are philosophical, or maybe I believe in God. Maybe, I don't know. [...] Or maybe, as I'm getting closer to death, I need it." He later spoke more fondly of the Catholic Church, which he acknowledged was "deeply entwined" in Latin American identity.[70]

Mujica was an avid fan of association football and was a supporter of his local club Club Atlético Cerro.[71] When the Uruguay national football team returned from their World Cup campaign in 2014 at Carrasco International Airport, and following FIFA suspending Uruguay's Luis Suárez from all football activities for four months after biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, Mujica criticised the organisation, calling them "sons of bitches" who meted out "fascist" treatments. Realizing he was being filmed, Mujica covered his mouth. Journalists then asked if they could publish his remark, to which he replied in laughter "yes".[72][73]

### Illness and death

[edit]

In April 2024, Mujica announced that he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which was found during a physical examination,[74] adding that the risks to his condition were aggravated by a preexisting autoimmune disease.[75] Despite his illness, Mujica campaigned for the successful presidential campaign of the Broad Front's Yamandú Orsi in the 2024 general election;[76] Mujica later described Orsi's victory as a "farewell gift".[77]

In January 2025, Mujica told Búsqueda that the cancer had spread to his liver and that he was dying, adding that he had decided to forego further treatment.[78] On 12 May, Topolansky stated that Mujica was "terminally ill" and he was put under hospice care.[79] Mujica died the following day, 13 May 2025, a week before his 90th birthday, at his farmhouse in Rincón del Cerro, on the outskirts of Montevideo; his death was announced by Orsi.[80][81][82][83] The Uruguayan goverment declared three days of national mourning and his state funeral (which includes a funeral procession) is currently taking place on 14 May on Montevideo, expecting to extend up to 15 May.[84] Mujica's remains will later be cremated and interred at his farmhouse.[85][86]

## In popular culture

[edit]

During the final months of 2013, Serbian film director Emir Kusturica started shooting a documentary on the life of Mujica, whom he considered "the last hero of politics". The film, titled El Pepe, una vida suprema, was released in 2018.[87] In 2014 Italian author Frank Iodice wrote the book Breve dialogo sulla felicità, which centers on Mujica's life.[88][89] Ten thousand copies of the book were printed and distributed for free to school children.[90] In June 2016, Mujica received the Order of the Flag of Republika Srpska from the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.[91]

Uruguayan film director Álvaro Brechner's 2018 film A Twelve-Year Night (La noche de 12 años) was based on Mujica's 12-year-long imprisonment under the military dictatorship. It premiered in official selection at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, and it was selected as the Uruguayan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. The film won the Golden Pyramid Award at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival.[92][93]

Spanish singer-songwriter Rozalén included a speech of Mujica at the end of her song "Girasoles" from her pop-themed album Cuando el río suena....[94]

In 2021, Caro De Robertis published a novel based on Mujica's life, entitled The President and the Frog (published in 2022 as El presidente y la rana).[95]

## Honors and awards

[edit]

Mujica receiving the Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle from President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico in 2014

* Argentina:
* Grand Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (25 January 2021)[96]
* Brazil:
* Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross (5 December 2024)[97]
* Colombia:
* Extraordinary Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá (5 December 2024)[98]
* Ecuador:
* Grand Collar of the National Order of San Lorenzo (3 December 2014)[99]
* Grand Collar of the National Order of Merit (3 December 2014)[100]
* Honduras:
* Grand Cross of the Order of Francisco Morazán (28 February 2025)[101]
* Mexico:
* Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (28 January 2014)[102][103]
* Panama:
* Grand Cross of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero (24 November 2017)[104]
* Paraguay:
* Grand Collar of the National Order of Merit (16 August 2010)[105]
* Peru:
* Grand Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru (25 January 2011)[106][107]
* Republika Srpska:
* Second Class of the Order of the Flag of Republika Srpska (28 June 2016)[108][109]

## See also

[edit]

* List of people who have received a state funeral
* List of presidents of Uruguay

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is  Mujica and the second or maternal family name is  Cordano.
2. ^ Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse alˈbeɾto muˈxika koɾˈðano]; nickname pronounced [ˈpepe].

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "⇨ José Pepe Mujica: Biography of the Former President". José Pepe Mujica. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
2. ^ Caistor, Nick (14 May 2025). "José 'Pepe' Mujica obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
3. ^ a b Hernandez, Vladimir (14 November 2012). "Jose Mujica: The World's 'Poorest' President". BBC News Magazine.
4. ^ Jonathan Watts (13 December 2013). Uruguay's president José Mujica: no palace, no motorcade, no frills. The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
5. ^ "Interview: the "philosopher president" of Uruguay". Times Higher Education (THE). 9 April 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
6. ^ Bourcier, Nicolas; Legrand, Christine (27 May 2014). "Uruguay's José Mujica: the 'humble' leader with grand ideas". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
7. ^ "José Mujica". Movimiento de Participación Popular (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
8. ^ Mujica paseará por Muxika, la tierra de sus antepasados, Diario La República
9. ^ Mujica recibió las llaves de la ciudad de Muxika, Diario La República
10. ^ "José Mujica. Otros mundos posibles - [2] Del juvenil rebelde al guerrillero vencido". reader.digitalbooks.pro. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
11. ^ a b c d e "Mujica de la chacra a la presidencia". Diario La República. 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
12. ^ "LevANTE - Favale di Malvaro, Mujica visita la terra degli avi: «Un saluto a tutti i liguri". Il Secolo XIX. 10 January 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
13. ^ liguriantighi.it (PDF)
14. ^ Maria Ximena Alvarez (2004). "Tupamaros revolution – La revolución imposible". História: Questões & Debates (in Spanish) (41). Curitiba: Editora UFPR. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
15. ^ Brum, Pablo (May 2014). Pablo Brum's "The Robin Hood Guerrillas: The Epic Journey of Uruguay's Tupamaros (CreateSpace, 2014). Pages 99-109. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1-4973-0872-5.
16. ^ Brum, The Robin Hood Guerrillas, pp. 122–123.
17. ^ Mallinder, Louise (16 March 2009). "Uruguay's Evolving Experience of Amnesty and Civil Society's Response". Transitional Justice Institute Research. SSRN 1387362.
18. ^ Bottinelli, Oscar A. (13 June 2008). "El 13 de junio de 1968: hace 40 años nació el Pachequismo" (in Spanish). Espectador.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
19. ^ "The Tupamaros". Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
20. ^ Brum, The Robin Hood Guerrillas, pp. 201–229 and 250–254.
21. ^ Lucho Soria. "Entrevista a José "Pepe" Mujica". www.elhistoriador.com.ar. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
22. ^ Andavolu, Krishna (9 May 2014). "Uruguay and Its Ex-Terrorist Head of State May Hold the Key to Ending the Global Drug War". Vice. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
23. ^ Brum, The Robin Hood Guerrillas, pp. 331–336.
24. ^ "Uruguay – Broad Front". Countrystudies.us. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
25. ^ "Ley 15.737". .parlamento.gub.uy. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
26. ^ a b c Stephen Gregory (1 February 2016). José 'Pepe' Mujica: Warrior, Philosopher, President. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 81–. ISBN 978-1-78284-304-7.
27. ^ "Mujica se compra para traje para ver a Lula" (in Spanish). 29 July 2009. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
28. ^ "Mujica invites opposition to a unity pact". El País (in Spanish). December 2009.
29. ^ ""El poder no está arriba sino en el corazón de las grandes masas", dice Mujica"" (in Spanish).
30. ^ "Uruguay government aims to legalise marijuana". BBC News. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
31. ^ Padgett, Tim (26 June 2012). "Should the world follow Uruguay's legalization of marijuana?". Time.
32. ^ Oppenheimer, Andres (23 August 2012). "Uruguay's plan to sell pot may not be that crazy". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
33. ^ "Uruguay:Homosexuales podran casarse desde agosto". peru21.pe. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
34. ^ "Uruguay legalises abortion". BBC News. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
35. ^ "Mujica addressing the UN". El Observador (in Spanish). 25 September 2013. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
* Documentation of the address.
36. ^ "Uruguayan President focuses on climate change, environment in UN Assembly speech". UN News Centre. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
37. ^ Ventura, Christophe. "En el país de las conquistas sindicales". Mémoire des luttes.
38. ^ Davies, Wyre (28 February 2015). "Uruguay bids farewell to Jose Mujica, its pauper president". BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
39. ^ Davies, Wyre (March 2015). "Uruguay bids farewell to Jose Mujica, its pauper president – BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
40. ^ "Martínez presenta a Mujica como posible ministro de cara al cuarto gobierno del FA". LR21.com.uy. 7 November 2019.
41. ^ Rivas Molina, Federico (20 October 2020). "El expresidente de Uruguay José 'Pepe' Mujica formaliza su renuncia al Senado y se retira de la política". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 October 2020.
42. ^ Warren, Michael (29 November 2009). "Ballot box gives ex-terrorist Uruguay's presidency". The Seattle Times.
43. ^ Carroll, Rory (25 October 2009). "Former terrorist Jose Mujica favourite in Uruguay election". London: TheGuardian. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
44. ^ "Ex-guerrilla wins Uruguay presidency". cnn.com. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
45. ^ "Runoff forced in Uruguay's election". AS/COA online. 21 October 2009.
46. ^ "Mujica headed for presidential victory in Uruguay".[dead link]
47. ^ "El acuerdo entre la UE y el Mercosur es prioritario para Mujica" (in Spanish). 29 November 2009. [dead link]
48. ^ Argentina and Uruguay settle seven-year pulp mill row, BBC News, 16 November 2010.
49. ^ Uruguay/Argentina implement the end of the pulp mill dispute, Mercopress, 31 August 2010.
50. ^ "La guerre de Libye révélatrice de la géopolitique latino-américaine". Le Monde (in French). 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012.
51. ^ "Mujica supports Lula da Silva's Iran policy". en.mercopress.com. 27 November 2009.
52. ^ "Mujica elogió a Lula por recibir a Ahmadinejad". La Nación. lanacion.com.ar. 28 November 2009. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
53. ^ Jorge Pérez (8 December 2014). "No quiero que estén de acuerdo, les pido que piensen: José Mujica" [I do not want you agree, I ask you to think: José Mujica]. El Informador (in Spanish). Guadalajara. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
54. ^ "'We're messing up:' Uruguay icon Mujica on strongman rule in Latin America". France 24. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
55. ^ "«Putin es un hijo de puta», afirma el expresidente uruguayo José Mujica". SwissInfo (in Spanish). 30 January 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
56. ^ "Uruguay's beloved Pepe bows out to spend time with his Beetle and three-legged dog". The Guardian. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
57. ^ "First time ever woman president (for a few days) in Uruguay". Mercopress. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
58. ^ "Uruguay's elections: The mystery behind Mujica's mask". The Economist. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
59. ^ "Mujica en "El Pato Encadenado"" (in Spanish). LaRed21. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
60. ^ "South America's unsung political hero". Monocle.com. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
61. ^ Zap, Claudine (20 September 2012). "'Poorest president' donates 90% of his salary". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
62. ^ Castells, Adolfo (10 January 2013). "Folclórico deslumbramiento primermundista" [First world's folkloric dazzle]. El Diario (in Spanish). Montevideo. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013. "El [periódico] francés Liberation [...] ―en el colmo de la desinformación― afirma que nuestro presidente es vegetariano. Seguramente piensa que los chorizos del Quincho de Varela están rellenos de berenjena y soja. [The French [newspaper] Libération [...]―at the height of disinformation―claims that our president is a vegetarian. Surely they think that the sausages of Quincho de Varela are filled with eggplant and soybean.]"
63. ^ "Carlos Mujica, de tupamaro en los años 70 a nuevo líder del Senado". Clarin.com. November 2004. Archived from the original on 3 November 2004. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
64. ^ "THE SATURDAY PROFILE: After Years in Solitary, an Austere Life as Uruguay's President". The New York Times. New York. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
65. ^ "Uruguay's Jose Mujica gets $1m offer for his VW Beetle". BBC News. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
66. ^ Hebblethwaite, Cordelia (20 May 2014). "#BBCtrending: Wishing for someone else's president". BBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
67. ^ «Pepe Mujica envía a Chávez una solidaria carta deseando su recuperación» Archived 2014-07-18 at the Wayback Machine, artículo en el sitio web Patria Grande (Caracas).
68. ^ "Topolansky explicó por qué no viajaron al Vaticano". Diario La República. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
69. ^ "Faltó Mujica porque es ateo". El Diario MX. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
70. ^ "Mujica: "La religión es una necesidad humana"" (in Spanish). El Observador. 15 March 2017.
71. ^ "Pepe Mujica aseguró que "los sueldos de algunos jugadores de fútbol ofenden"". www.tycsports.com. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
72. ^ "Eurosport is not available in your region". www.eurosport.com. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
73. ^ "Uruguay president blasts FIFA ban as 'fascist'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
74. ^ "El ex presidente uruguayo José Mujica anunció que tiene un tumor en el esófago". www.infobae.com. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
75. ^ "Iconic former Uruguayan President José Mujica is diagnosed with esophageal cancer". Associated Press. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
76. ^ Díaz Campanella, Gabriel (29 October 2024). "Uruguay's José Mujica steps in to help Broad Front mobilize voters ahead of runoff vote". El País. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
77. ^ "Iconic Uruguayan ex-leader hails country's swing left as 'farewell gift'". France 24. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
78. ^ "Uruguay's iconic ex-President Jose Mujica says his cancer has spread and that he's dying". AP News. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
79. ^ "El presidente de Uruguay revela que José 'Pepe' Mujica está grave'". El País (in Spanish). 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
80. ^ Pedro Tristant (13 May 2025). "Murió José "Pepe" Mujica, el ex guerrillero que llegó a presidente y se convirtió en símbolo mundial". infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
81. ^ Rios, Michael (13 May 2025). "José Mujica, Uruguay's modest leader who transformed the country, dies at 89". CNN. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
82. ^ Centenera, Mar (13 May 2025). "La izquierda hispanoamericana despide a Pepe Mujica: "¡Te vamos a extrañar mucho, viejo querido!"". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
83. ^ Ho, Julio (13 May 2025). "José Mujica, Leftist President of Uruguay Known for Humility, Dies at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
84. ^ "Boric y Lula llegarán este jueves a Montevideo por el velatorio de José Mujica". Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). 14 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
85. ^ "Uruguay se prepara para despedir a José 'Pepe' Mujica: cómo serán el cortejo fúnebre y el velatorio". Infobae (in Spanish). 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
86. ^ "El pedido de Mujica: ser enterrado bajo un árbol en su chacra junto a su perra Manuela". Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). 13 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
87. ^ "Local images of Kusturica's documentary". El Observador (in Spanish). 2 April 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
88. ^ ""Breve Dialogo sulla felicità" – di Frank Iodice". 20 March 2019.
89. ^ "'Breve dialogo sulla felicità': gli incontri di Frank Iodice approdano al Liceo 'Cassini' di Sanremo - Sanremonews.it". 16 January 2015.
90. ^ "L'incapacità dell'essere umano di amare". L'Unione Sarda.it. 18 October 2018.
91. ^ Toé, Rodolfo (28 June 2016). "Bosnians Shocked as Mujica Accepts RS Award". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
92. ^ "Alvaro Brechner on A Twelve-Year Night, Exploring the Human Condition". Variety. September 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
93. ^ Mango, Agustin (27 September 2018). "Oscars: Uruguay Selects A Twelve-Year Night for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
94. ^ "Rozalén presenta un adelanto del vídeo de "Girasoles", primer sencillo de su nuevo álbum". Sony Music España (in Spanish). 21 June 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
95. ^ Meyer, Lily (29 October 2021). "The Moral and Magical Political Fictions of Carolina De Robertis". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
96. ^ "El Gobierno condecoró a José "Pepe" Mujica con la Orden del Libertador San Martín" (in Spanish). 25 January 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
97. ^ Tortella, Tiago (5 December 2024). "No Uruguai, Lula condecora Mujica com maior honraria brasileira; veja". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 5 December 2024.
98. ^ "Presidente Petro le entregó a Pepe Mujica la Orden de Boyacá en Uruguay" (in Spanish). 5 December 2024.
99. ^ "Mujica apasionado". Republica.com.uy (in Spanish). 7 December 2014. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
100. ^ "Ecuador condecora a Pepe Mujica". El Universo (in Spanish). 4 December 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
101. ^ Rodríguez, Victor Manuel (28 February 2025). "Xiomara Castro, presidenta de Honduras condecoró a Pepe Mujica". Asociación de la Prensa Uruguaya (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2025.
102. ^ "Mujica recibió la orden mexicana del Águila Azteca de manos de Peña Nieto". El Observador (in Spanish). 28 January 2014. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
103. ^ Mujica fue condecorado por el presidente mexicano Republica.com.uy, 28 January 2014 (in Spanish)
104. ^ "Panamá condecora al expresidente de Uruguay José 'Pepe' Mujica" (in Spanish). TVN. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
105. ^ "Lugo entrega a Mujica Orden Nacional al Mérito Mcal. Francisco Solano López" (in Spanish). Diario ABC Color. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
106. ^ "José Mujica agradece condecoraciones y afirma que América es la "gran causa" por seguir". Andina.com.pe (in Spanish). 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
107. ^ El Presidente recibirá condecoración creada por José de San Martín en 1821 Presidencia.gub.uy, 25 January 2011 (in Spanish)
108. ^ Bilbija, Bojan. "Hoseu Muhiki najviši orden Republike Srpske". Politika Online. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
109. ^ "ANDRIĆGRAD Dodik uručio Orden zastave RS sa srebrnim vencem bivšem predsedniku Urugvaja". Blic.rs (in Serbian). 27 June 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2021.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Cohen, Pablo (2024). Los indomables (in Spanish). Montevideo: Planeta. ISBN 978-9915-692-33-3.
* (In Spanish)} Biography by CIDOB Foundation
* Uruguay's President-Elect: Che Guevara's Spiritual Heir by The Daily Maverick
* Lessa (2001). La revolución imposible: los Tupamaros y el fracaso de la vía armada en el Uruguay (in Spanish). Fin de Siglo.
* (In Spanish)} Mujica, el viaje de un tupamaro
* (In Spanish)} Mujica por Pagina 12: "En mi paisito vale la pena invertir"
* (In Spanish)} Infolatam.com

## External links

[edit]

José Mujica at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Media from Commons
* Quotations from Wikiquote

* José Mujica at IMDb
* Works about José Mujica at Open Library
* Biography of José Mujica

Political offices

Preceded by

Martín Aguirrezabala

|  Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries
2005–2008  | Succeeded by

Ernesto Agazzi

Preceded by

Tabaré Vázquez

|  President of Uruguay
2010–2015  | Succeeded by

Tabaré Vázquez

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by

Dési Bouterse

|  President pro tempore of UNASUR
2014–2015  | Succeeded by

Tabaré Vázquez

* v
* t
* e

Heads of state and government of Uruguay

Heads of state|

| Governors
(1828–1830)|

* Joaquín Suárez
* José Rondeau
* Juan Antonio Lavalleja

|

Presidents
(1830–1952)|

* Fructuoso Rivera
* Carlos Anaya
* Manuel Oribe
* Fructuoso Rivera
* Joaquín Suárez
* Juan Francisco Giró
* Venancio Flores
* Gabriel Antonio Pereira
* Bernardo Berro
* Lorenzo Batlle y Grau
* José Eugenio Ellauri
* Pedro Varela
* Lorenzo Latorre
* Francisco Antonino Vidal
* Alberto Flangini
* Máximo Santos
* Francisco Antonino Vidal
* Máximo Santos
* Máximo Tajes
* Julio Herrera y Obes
* Duncan Stewart
* Juan Idiarte Borda
* Juan Lindolfo Cuestas
* José Batlle y Ordóñez
* Feliciano Viera
* Baltasar Brum
* José Serrato
* Juan Campisteguy
* Gabriel Terra
* Alfredo Baldomir
* Juan José de Amézaga
* Tomás Berreta
* Luis Batlle Berres
* Andrés Martínez Trueba

Chairmen of the
National Council of Government
(1952–1967)|

* Luis Batlle Berres
* Alberto Fermín Zubiría
* Arturo Lezama
* Carlos Fischer
* Martín Echegoyen
* Benito Nardone
* Eduardo Víctor Haedo
* Faustino Harrison
* Daniel Fernández Crespo
* Luis Giannattasio
* Washington Beltrán
* Alberto Héber Usher

Presidents
(1967–present)|

* Óscar Diego Gestido
* Jorge Pacheco Areco
* Juan María Bordaberry
* Alberto Demicheli
* Aparicio Méndez
* Gregorio Conrado Álvarez
* Rafael Addiego Bruno
* Julio María Sanguinetti
* Luis Alberto Lacalle
* Julio María Sanguinetti
* Jorge Batlle Ibáñez
* Tabaré Vázquez
* José Mujica
* Tabaré Vázquez
* Luis Lacalle Pou
* Yamandú Orsi

Heads of government|

The president was both head of state and head of government between 1830 and 1917

Prime ministers of the
National Council of Administration
(1917–1933)|

* Feliciano Viera
* José Batlle y Ordóñez
* Julio María Sosa
* Luis Alberto de Herrera
* José Batlle y Ordóñez
* Luis C. Caviglia
* Baltasar Brum
* Juan Pedro Fabini
* Antonio Rubio

The president was both head of state and head of government between 1933 and 1955

Presidency abolished between 1952 and 1967; the National Council of Government became the collective head of government

The president is both head of state and head of government from 1967 onward

Portals:

* Biography
* Politics
* Uruguay

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
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* Germany
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* Argentina
* Korea
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Academics|

* CiNii

People|

* Uruguay
* Deutsche Biographie
* DDB

Other|

* IdRef

*[m.]: married
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template