Uruguay's ex-president Mujica dead at 89

Uruguay's ex-president Mujica dead at 89

Former Uruguayan President Jose Mujica with his wife Lucia Topolansky

Uruguay's leftist ex-leader Jose "Pepe" Mujica, a cult figure for his modest lifestyle, has died after losing his battle with cancer, the government in Montevideo said Tuesday.

"With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend," the country's serving leader Yamandu Orsi said on X.

On Monday, Mujica's wife Lucia Topolansky said the 89-year-old was in a "terminal" phase of cancer and receiving palliative care.

The former guerrilla was once known as the world's "poorest president" for giving away most of his salary and driving an old Volkswagen Beetle while in office from 2010 to 2015.

He also gained an international following for his firm anti-consumerist stance.

On his watch, Uruguay passed a number of progressive laws -- legalizing abortion and gay marriage, and becoming the first country in the world to allow recreational cannabis use, in 2013.

Mujica was part of the MLN-Tupamaros rebels that waged an insurgency during the 1960s and 70s.

Though popular, many Uruguayans blamed the group for provoking the 1973 military coup that ushered in a dictatorship that lasted until 1985.

Mujica spent 12 years in prison during that time, much of it in solitary confinement.

In January, Mujica said his cancer, diagnosed in the esophagus last year, had spread and he would stop treatment.

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