Although Jose Mujica withdrew from electoral politics, he remained active in the grassroots work of the Popular Participation Movement, continuing to serve as a prominent figure for the Latin American left until the end of his life.

This iconic leader governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. In his youth, during the 1960s and 1970s, Mujica was part of the National Liberation Movement–Tupamaros, a guerrilla group remembered for its daring operations in urban resistance against the dictatorship.

He spent approximately 13 years in prison. Mujica was captured multiple times and imprisoned from the early 1970s until 1985, during Uruguay’s civic-military dictatorship. He endured harsh conditions, spending most of his incarceration in solitary confinement.

Once released, he became involved in party politics. As president, Mujica became a global reference point for his extremely austere lifestyle and his commitment to fighting poverty and promoting social equality.

Pepe Mujica era Tupamaro, izquierdista y antimperialista, fue el Presidente uruguayo que legalizó aborto, mariguana y matrimonio gay, su impacto político para la civilización de la humanidad fue tan positivo y él sigue siendo un icono de libertad y dignidad para nuestra ALC. pic.twitter.com/dRYXIWZuit

— JOSE LUIS VASQUEZ M (@Sirjlv) May 8, 2025

Early Steps Toward an Unwavering Social Commitment

Born in Montevideo in 1935, Mujica spent much of his youth working in the countryside. In the 1960s, he became interested in agricultural and social issues, which led him to active political engagement. This occurred as Uruguay’s economy began to stagnate, hitting the middle and lower classes the hardest.

In 1962, Mujica left the National Party and joined the Tupamaros, an urban guerrilla movement with a Marxist orientation inspired by the Cuban Revolution. There, he met Lucia Topolansky, who would become a legislator, vice president and his lifelong partner.

Mujica participated in guerrilla actions and was imprisoned multiple times, the last being in 1972 at the beginning of the dictatorship. He spent most of his confinement in solitary isolation until his release in 1985, when democracy was restored in Uruguay. That experience deeply shaped his later focus on dialogue and social peace.

After his release, Mujica entered electoral politics. Alongside other former guerrillas, he co-founded the Popular Participation Movement, which became a faction within the Broad Front, a left-wing coalition founded in the 1970s.

Mujica was elected to the legislature in 1995 and became a senator in 1999. In these roles, he contributed to the legalization of informal labor and improvements in social security for urban workers and farmers. From 2005 to 2008, he served as minister of agriculture during the administration of Tabare Vazquez. His impeccable reputation and enduring popularity propelled him to the presidency in 2010.

Mujica’s Latin American Dimension

During his presidency from 2010 to 2015, Mujica implemented social inclusion and welfare policies. A key example of his progressive outlook was the passage of the Equal Marriage Act in 2013.

His “Together Plan” focused on improving housing conditions for the poorest families, while the “Equity Plan” continued financial support for households with children in vulnerable situations.

Although Mujica was unable to carry out a major educational reform, the Uruguayan economy continued to grow, and poverty declined steadily during his administration.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Former Uruguayan President Jose “Pepe” Mujica received the highest distinctions granted by Colombia and Brazil from their respective presidents Gustavo Petro and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. pic.twitter.com/0gxlP86JS8

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 9, 2024

He diversified Uruguay’s productive matrix without abandoning agricultural investment, strengthening the country’s position as a food exporter. One of his most groundbreaking initiatives was the 2013 legalization of the production, sale, and consumption of cannabis—a global first.

Internationally, Mujica sought diplomatic balance and promoted dialogue as a means of resolving geopolitical conflicts. Under his leadership, Uruguay solidified its role in regional organizations such as the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

A Politician Who Shone Through Simplicity

After completing his presidential term, Mujica remained active in both international and national politics, while his image became amplified by his charisma and wisdom.

At various forums and institutional settings, he continued to passionately advocate against imperialism and for the self-determination of peoples.

Known for his austere lifestyle and concern for environmental issues, Mujica frequently urged world leaders and citizens alike to adopt a more humane and less consumerist mindset—one that aimed for sustainable development for future generations.

“We have invented a mountain of superfluous needs. Shopping for new, discarding the old… That’s a waste of our lives! When I buy something, or you, we’re not paying with money. We’re paying with the time from our lives we had to spend to earn that money,” he said.

Mujica returned to his Senate seat from 2015 to 2018. Later, he continued to influence public discourse as an active commentator on political and economic developments. In April, he announced his intention to step away from the public spotlight due to being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Nevertheless, to the extent that his health allowed, Mujica remained politically active as a committed grassroots member of Uruguayan left. He participated in several campaign rallies during the election that brought Broad Front candidate Yamandu Orsi to the presidency.

“To live in accordance with how one thinks, that’s what I call having dignity. That’s how I try to live. And I don’t say that others should do it, but I do believe that if politicians lived like the majority, they would be respected,” said Mujica, a man who donated most of his presidential salary, drove an old Volkswagen Beetle, and lived in a modest farmhouse—choices that made his words resonate far beyond Uruguay.

This article was originally published in TeleSUR and can be read here.