José Mujica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Mujica
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Mujica in 2011
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| President of Uruguay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 March 2010 – 1 March 2015 |
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| Vice President | Danilo Astori | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tabaré Vázquez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tabaré Vázquez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
José Alberto Mujica Cordano
20 May 1935 Montevideo, Uruguay |
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| Died | 13 May 2025 (aged 89) Montevideo, Uruguay |
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| Political party | MPP (from 1989) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
Broad Front Tupamaros (1966–1972) |
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José Alberto "Pepe" Mujica Cordano (20 May 1935 – 13 May 2025) was a politician and farmer from Uruguay. He served as the 40th President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. Before becoming president, he was part of a group called the Tupamaros. He was held captive for 13 years during a time when Uruguay was under military rule in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mujica was a member of the Broad Front, a group of left-wing political parties. He was the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries from 2005 to 2008. Later, he became a Senator. In 2009, he won the presidential election and became president on March 1, 2010.
Many people called Mujica "the world's poorest president." This was because he lived a very simple life. He gave away about 90 percent of his monthly salary (which was around US$12,000) to charities. These charities helped people in need and small businesses. He often spoke about how focusing too much on owning things doesn't make people happy. Many journalists and media praised his way of life. In 2015, Times Higher Education even called him the "philosopher president."
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
José Alberto Mujica Cordano was born on May 20, 1935, in Montevideo, Uruguay. His father, Demetrio Mujica Terra, was a farmer who went bankrupt and died when José was five years old. His mother, Lucy Cordano Giorello, came from a family of Italian immigrants.
After finishing his basic schooling, Mujica went to college but did not complete his studies. When he was a teenager, from age 13 to 17, he enjoyed cycling for different clubs.
Mujica's uncle, Ángel Cordano, was a member of the National Party and greatly influenced his political ideas. In 1956, Mujica met politician Enrique Erro and started to actively support the National Party. He even became its general secretary.
In 1958, the National Party won many seats in the senate. Erro became the Minister of Labor from 1959 to 1960, and Mujica worked with him. In 1962, both Erro and Mujica left the National Party. They formed a new left-wing party called Unión Popular with the Socialist Party. However, their candidate for president lost the 1962 election.
Becoming a Guerrilla Fighter
In the mid-1960s, Mujica joined a new group called the MLN-Tupamaros. This was a far-left armed political group inspired by the Cuban Revolution. They believed in using armed action to bring about change.
In 1969, Mujica took part in a brief takeover of Pando, a town near Montevideo. He led one of six teams attacking important places in the city. His team successfully took over the telephone exchange without any problems. In March 1970, Mujica was shot six times while resisting arrest at a bar in Montevideo. Doctors at the hospital saved his life.
Mujica was captured by the authorities four times. In September 1971, he was one of over 100 Tupamaros who escaped from Punta Carretas Prison. They dug a tunnel from inside the prison to a nearby house. Mujica was caught again less than a month later. But he escaped from Punta Carretas once more in April 1972. This time, he and about a dozen others fled using improvised wheeled planks down a tunnel dug from outside the prison.
He was caught for the last time in 1972. Soon after, Uruguay experienced a military coup in 1973. During this time, Mujica and eight other Tupamaros were kept in very harsh conditions by the military. He spent a total of 13 years in captivity. For more than two years, he was held at the bottom of an old, empty horse-watering trough. During his time in prison, Mujica faced many health problems, including mental issues.
In 1985, when democracy returned to Uruguay, Mujica was set free. This was thanks to an amnesty law that covered political crimes. Several years later, Mujica and many Tupamaros joined other left-wing groups. They formed the Movement of Popular Participation, which became part of the Broad Front political group.
Early Political Career and Presidential Campaign
In the 1994 elections, Mujica was elected as a deputy. In the 1999 elections, he was elected as a senator. Because of Mujica's friendly personality, his party, the MPP, became more and more popular. By 2004, it was the biggest group within the Broad Front.
In the 2004 elections, Mujica was re-elected to the Senate. The MPP received many votes, helping Tabaré Vázquez win the presidency. On March 1, 2005, President Vázquez made Mujica the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries. Mujica had a background in farming. He left his Senate position to take on this role. He served as minister until 2008, when he returned to the Senate.
Running for President in 2009
Even though President Vázquez preferred his Finance Minister Danilo Astori to be the next presidential candidate, Mujica had strong support. On December 14, 2008, Mujica was chosen as the official candidate for the Broad Front in the 2009 primary elections. On June 28, 2009, Mujica won the primary elections and became the Broad Front's presidential candidate. Astori then agreed to be his running mate.
Their campaign promised to continue and improve the popular policies of Vázquez's government. Their slogan was "An honorable government, a first-class country." This slogan hinted at problems with the previous government of the main opposition candidate, Luis Alberto Lacalle. During the campaign, Mujica said he would follow the example of center-left governments in Brazil and Chile, not those in Venezuela or Bolivia. Mujica was known for his casual style, but he wore a suit (without a tie) for some important campaign events.
In October 2009, Mujica won the most votes, over 48 percent, but not enough to win outright. He faced former president Lacalle in a second round of voting. On November 29, Mujica won the runoff election with more than 52% of the votes. In his first speech as president-elect, Mujica called for unity. He said there were "no winners or losers" and that power comes from the people's hearts.
Presidency (2010–2015)
As president, Mujica formed a cabinet with politicians from different parts of the Broad Front. He gave the economic roles to people close to his vice president, Danilo Astori.
In September 2013, Mujica gave a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He spoke about humanity and globalization. He asked the world to work harder to protect the planet for future generations. He also talked about the power of financial systems and how economic problems affect everyday people. He encouraged everyone to live a simpler life, focusing on relationships, love, friendship, and family, instead of being controlled by money and markets.
His policies generally continued what the previous government had started. The amount of money spent on social programs increased from 60.9% to 75.5% between 2004 and 2013. During his time as president, the unemployment rate stayed around 7%. The number of people living in poverty dropped from 18% to 9.7%. The minimum wage was also raised. He also supported strengthening trade unions. Uruguay became a leading country in the Americas for respecting workers' rights.
Mujica could not run for re-election in 2014 because the Constitution does not allow presidents to serve two terms in a row. So, on March 1, 2015, his term as president ended. Tabaré Vázquez became president again for a second time. When Mujica left office, Uruguay had a strong economy and social stability.
After the Presidency (2015–2025)
Mujica continued to serve as a senator after his presidency, from 2015 until 2020. Before the 2019 general election, the Broad Front candidate Daniel Martínez thought about making Mujica the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries if he won.
On October 20, 2020, Mujica resigned from the Senate. He announced he was retiring from politics because of the COVID-19 pandemic and his age; he was 85 years old. Alejandro Sánchez Pereira took his place in the Senate.
Political Views
Mujica's political ideas changed over time, becoming more practical. In his later years, he wanted the political left to be more flexible. His way of speaking and his informal style made him very popular, especially among people in rural areas and those with lower incomes. People called him an "antipolitician" and someone who "speaks the language of the people."
On the issue of the Uruguay River pulp mill dispute between Argentina and Uruguay, Mujica was more open to working with Argentina than the previous government. In 2010, the two countries ended their long disagreement. They signed an agreement to monitor the river's environment. Mujica's good relationship with Argentinian President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner helped reach this agreement.
He was close to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, whom he called "the most generous ruler I have ever known." In 2011, he spoke against the military actions by Western countries in Libya. When asked about Brazilian President Lula da Silva welcoming Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mujica said it was a "genius move." He believed that isolating Iran would be worse for the world.
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After leaving the presidency, Mujica criticized the left-wing governments in Nicaragua and Venezuela for being too strict. However, he was against other countries getting involved in the problems in Venezuela. He also criticized former presidents Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Argentina) and Evo Morales (Bolivia) for staying too active in politics after leaving office. He once said, "How hard it is for them to let go of the cake!" He also called the election of Javier Milei as president of Argentina "madness."
Personal Life
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In 2005, Mujica married Lucía Topolansky. She was also a former member of the Tupamaros. They did not have children. They lived on a farm owned by Topolansky outside Montevideo, where they grew flowers to sell. They had several pets, including a three-legged dog named Manuela. Topolansky briefly served as acting president in November 2010 when her husband and the vice president were away.
Mujica became famous worldwide for his simple lifestyle. He chose not to live in the presidential palace or use its staff during his presidency. He drove a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and rode his 60-year-old bicycle for transportation. In 2010, his car was worth US$1,800, and it was his only declared possession. In 2014, a newspaper reported that he was offered US$1,000,000 for his car. He said that if he received the money, he would donate it to a program that helps homeless people.
People were curious about Mujica's religious beliefs. In a 2012 interview, he said, "I don't have a religion, but I am almost pantheistic; I admire nature." He later clarified that while he wasn't a "believer," he would call for a mass for those who wished to pray for someone's health. Mujica and Topolansky did not attend the papal inauguration of Pope Francis in 2013 because they were not believers. Mujica was considered one of the few openly atheist presidents in the Americas. In a 2017 interview, he said, "My doubts with God are philosophical, or maybe I believe in God. Maybe, I don't know."
Mujica was a big fan of association football and supported his local club, Club Atlético Cerro. In 2014, after the Uruguay national football team returned from the World Cup, Mujica criticized FIFA for suspending Uruguay's Luis Suárez.
Illness and Death
In April 2024, Mujica announced he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He said his condition was made more serious by another health problem he already had. Despite his illness, Mujica campaigned for the Broad Front's presidential candidate, Yamandú Orsi, in the 2024 general election. Mujica later called Orsi's victory a "farewell gift."
In January 2025, Mujica shared that the cancer had spread to his liver and that he was dying. He decided not to have further treatment. On May 12, his wife, Topolansky, said Mujica was "terminally ill" and was receiving hospice care. Mujica passed away the next day, May 13, 2025, a week before his 90th birthday, at his farmhouse. The Uruguayan government declared three days of national mourning. His state funeral began on May 14 in Montevideo. Mujica's remains will be cremated and buried at his farmhouse.
Honors and Awards
Argentina:
Grand Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (25 January 2021)
Brazil:
Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross (5 December 2024)
Colombia:
Extraordinary Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá (5 December 2024)
Ecuador:
Grand Collar of the National Order of San Lorenzo (3 December 2014)
Grand Collar of the National Order of Merit (3 December 2014)
Honduras:
Grand Cross of the Order of Francisco Morazán (28 February 2025)
Mexico:
Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (28 January 2014)
Panama:
Grand Cross of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero (24 November 2017)
Paraguay:
Grand Collar of the National Order of Merit (16 August 2010)
Peru:
Grand Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru (25 January 2011)
Republika Srpska:
Second Class of the Order of the Flag of Republika Srpska (28 June 2016)
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See also
In Spanish: José Mujica para niños
- List of people who have received a state funeral
- List of presidents of Uruguay
