José “Pepe” Mujica, iconic President of Uruguay, died Tuesday at 89. Mujica led the South American country from 2010 to 2015 and was considered one of the most prominent left-wing Latin American leaders in the 21st century.
Mujica spent his final days at a ranch in rural Uruguay, on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Montevideo, with his wife, Lucia Topolansky. Topolansky is a former Uruguayan senator and Vice President, from Mujica’s party, the Frente Amplio.
On April 29, 2024, Jose Mujica announced that he had a tumor in the esophagus. After this initial announcement was made, Mujica revealed the tumor was malignant and had to be treated with radiotherapy. He underwent this treatment in Montevideo.
During the press conference, Mujica said, “I went to the Casmu medical center for a check-up, during which it was discovered that I have a tumor in my esophagus, which is obviously very serious and doubly complex in my case because I have been suffering from an autoimmune disease for over 20 years.”
José “Pepe” Mujica (1935 — 2025). pic.twitter.com/VjasSviSv7
— MUBI Latinoamérica (@mubilat) May 13, 2025
In January 2025, he revealed that the cancer had expanded into his liver and that he was dying. In an interview, the former President said, “The cancer in my esophagus is spreading to my liver. I can’t stop it with anything. Why? Because I’m an old man and I have two chronic illnesses. I’m not a candidate for either biochemical treatment or surgery, because my body can’t handle it.”
Jose “Pepe” Mujica took up arms as a guerrilla member in Uruguay. From 1973 to 1985, he was imprisoned by the military dictatorship for being a militant of the left-wing guerrilla organization, Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros. During this time, he endured extreme conditions and torture but was eventually granted the same amnesty as all other political prisoners.
During his term, Pepe Mujica was renowned as the world’s “humblest” president for donating 90% of his presidential salary to charity and driving an old Volkswagen Beetle. His humility was a key characteristic that gained him global recognition, as it was unusual for a country’s leader to exhibit such a degree of modesty, shunning luxury and wealth during his presidency.
Policy-wise, he was best known for being a pragmatist leader. He also saw the legalization of abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and marijuana in Uruguay. Mujica was so progressive that Uruguay was the first country to fully legalize the production, sale, and consumption of recreational marijuana.
