On Thursday, former Uruguayan President Pepe Mujica issued a message confirming his desire to withdraw from any public activity as cancer is gradually deteriorating his health.
“I want to say goodbye to my comrades and my fellow citizens. What I ask is to be left in peace. Don’t hound me with interviews or anything else. My cycle ended a long time ago,” he said.
“Honestly, I am dying, and the warrior has the right to rest,” said the legendary guerrilla fighter who opposed the U.S.-backed dictatorship that ruled Uruguay from 1973 to 1985.
In response to his words, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who was also a guerrilla fighter, bid farewell to Mujica, praising his dream of Latin American unity.
“Farewell, brother Pepe, and onward to victory always. I hope our South America has a single name: the Amazon. And I hope Latin America has an anthem in its unity, as is your dream. Bolívar’s officers salute you,” Petro wrote on his account on X.
Just watching José Mujica’s final speech to Uruguayan senate yesterday – what a life. A former guerrilla with the Tupamaros, he was imprisoned for 12 years during the military dictatorship before finally leading the great masses of Uruguay as President Pepé ✊🏻 #PepeMujica pic.twitter.com/ACMG15AmfS
— Chris Hazzard MP (@ChrisHazzardSF) October 21, 2020
On December 5, the Colombian president visited Mujica at his home on the outskirts of Montevideo to honor him with the Cruz de Boyacá, the highest civilian distinction awarded by the Colombian government.
During that visit, Petro expressed a “deep connection since youth” with Uruguay and compared his own path as a guerrilla fighter to Mujica’s. “We both ended up laying down arms because we understood that peace was the most important and most revolutionary thing in a society,” the Colombian president said.
On April 29, 2024, the historic leader of Uruguay’s left announced at a press conference that he had a tumor in his esophagus. Subsequently, Mujica stated he would not undergo any further treatment.
“The cancer in my esophagus is spreading to my liver. I can’t stop it. Why? Because I’m an old man, and I have two chronic illnesses. I’m not eligible for chemotherapy or surgery because my body can’t handle it,” he said.
“Pepe Mujica is much more than a former president. He is a symbol. Known as ‘the poorest president in the world,’ he rejected the luxuries of office, donated most of his salary, and lived on his modest farm. He reminded us that power doesn’t need to corrupt and that politics can be an instrument of transformation,” MaisPolitica recalled.
“He believed in the strength of democracy but always respected those who thought differently: ‘It is easy to respect those who think like you. The challenge is to respect those who do not agree with you,’ he said,” the Brazilian outlet pointed out.
#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