José ‘Pepe’ Mujica, former guerrilla and ex-president of Uruguay, dies aged 89

Uruguay’s former president José Mujica, a onetime Marxist guerrilla and flower farmer whose radical brand of democracy, plain-spoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world, has died. In a post on social media platform X, Orsi called Mujica a “president, activist, guide and leader”. Mujica had been under treatment for cancer of the esophagus since spring 2024, when the disease was diagnosed. He served just one five-year term as president, in line with Uruguay’s term limits. In his final interview, Mujica repeatedly answered interview questions with philosophical aphorisms.