Pepe
The adage goes that deeds are born of great men and outlive their parents. Such is the case of José Pepe Mujica, the former Uruguayan president, who physically departed this world, but whose legacy remains etched in the conscience of all of Latin America as one of the most beloved and courageous leftist fighters.
Many will remember him for that iconic blue Volkswagen, for his modest home on the outskirts of Montevideo, for his measured speech and clear gaze. Those of us fortunate enough to know him and follow his life closely know that his consistency was never a pose or a strategy, but rather the result of a career built from the bottom up, from prison, from clandestinity, from hunger and resistance.
Pepe Mujica was not a traditional politician. He was a guerrilla fighter, a political prisoner; he was subjected to torture and isolation, but they never broke him. He knew what it meant to risk his life for an ideal without the certainty of seeing the fruits of his labor. Even so, when democracy returned to his country, he chose to continue fighting from other positions: Congress, the Ministry, and the Presidency.
His term as president of Uruguay, from 2010 to 2015, was truly transformative. He placed the nation on the world map as a beacon of progress. But beyond the laws and advances, what truly transformed him was his example: he demonstrated that power can be exercised without using it.
And this, in a world so marked by ambition and dehumanization, made him unique. He didn't live in a palace, he didn't use bodyguards, and he didn't accumulate wealth. He never ceased to be a militant, not even when he wore the presidential sash. His words were heard with respect not only by his allies, but even by his adversaries, because he knew how to speak from the heart.
In Mexico, he bonded with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whom he accompanied during our 2022 national holidays, despite his failing health. He dedicated his final years to speaking with young people and students. He said that the only thing worth living for was to serve, and to serve in order to live with dignity.
Now that he's leaving us physically, his passing hurts, but it also calls us not to give up, to remember that the fight for a more just world is not an empty slogan, but a way of life. He leaves us his example, his ethics, his hearty laughter, his gaze of a weary but persistent sage, who never stopped believing that another world was possible.
To his entire family, his friends, and all the Uruguayan people, we send a strong, fraternal hug of struggle and hope. Thank you for everything, Pepe . We're still here.
X and Facebook: @RicardoMonrealA
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