José "Pepe" Mujica, former president of Uruguay, dies at 89
- José 'Pepe' Mujica, former president of Uruguay and ex-Marxist guerrilla, died at age 89 in his ranch house near Montevideo in May 2025.
- Mujica's death followed his January announcement to stop treatment after esophageal cancer returned and spread to his liver, leading him to hospice care.
- During his presidency from 2010 to 2015, Mujica transformed Uruguay through legalizing marijuana, abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and promoting alternative energy.
- He ended his tenure with 60% approval while presiding over rising wages, falling poverty, and Uruguay becoming a socially liberal democracy with a green energy revolution.
- Following his death, Uruguay declared three days of mourning and leaders across Latin America praised Mujica's humility, progressive legacy, and ongoing political influence.
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486 Articles
Former Uruguayan President José Mujica (2010–2015) Passed This Week at 89
Latin American politics have long fascinated and unsettled the world. From afar, the region looks like a vast political laboratory where everything is tried before it’s exported: revolutions, liberalizations, debt traps, military coups and grassroots awakenings. It’s where ideology stretches to extremes and sometimes loops back on itself. Even the humblest figures, if they make it to the top, are watched with the intensity usually reserved for p…
World's Poorest President From Uruguay Dies At The Age of 89
Can you rule a country from a farmhouse, drive a rusty old Volkswagen, and still be remembered as a giant on the world stage? If you’re José “Pepe” Mujica, the answer is a resounding yes.The former Uruguayan president passed away at 89, leaving behind a legacy that reads more like a novel than a political résumé. Guerrilla fighter. Prisoner. President. Philosopher.Diagnosed with cancer last year, Mujica faced death like he faced life—with calm, …
OBITUARY | Jose Mujica, Uruguay's former leader, rebel icon and cannabis reformer dead at 89
Jose Mujica, a one-time guerrilla and later president of Uruguay who drove a beat-up VW Beetle and enacted progressive reforms that carried his reputation well beyond South America, died aged 89.

Uruguay bids farewell to popular ex-leader "Pepe" Mujica
Thousands of Uruguayans lined the streets of Montevideo Wednesday to bid farewell to deceased former leader Jose "Pepe" Mujica, famed for his humility and once known as the "world's poorest president."
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