"World's Poorest President" Jose Mujica Dies at 89

MONTEVIDEO, May 14 (Bernama-dpa) -- José Mujica, Uruguay's former president and a global icon of humility in politics, has died at the age of 89, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi announced the death on Tuesday.

"We will miss you dearly, dear old man. Thank you for everything you gave us and for your profound love for your people," Orsi wrote in a post on social media platform X.

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The former president had been battling oesophageal cancer, which he said had spread and was no longer being treated.

Mujica served as president of the small South American nation from 2010 to 2015.

A former guerrilla fighter, he rose to global prominence for his modest lifestyle, earning him the nickname "the world's poorest president" and making him a revered figure on the Latin American left. 

Under his presidency, Uruguay saw economic growth and reduced poverty.

Mujica oversaw a series of reforms during his presidency, including the acceptance of former Guantánamo detainees as refugees. He also initiated the legalisation of recreational cannabis, making Uruguay the first country in the world to do so.

During his time in office, he donated most of his salary to charity, lived in a rural farmhouse on the outskirts of Montevideo, and drove a beat-up VW Beetle.

In a January interview with the weekly newspaper Búsqueda, he said: "I want to say goodbye to my fellow citizens. The foundation of democracy is respect for those who think differently. I embrace everyone."

-- BERNAMA-dpa