Goodbye to José "Pepe" Mujica

The Steering Committee of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences receives with sorrow the news of the death on May 13 of the former Uruguayan president and reference of Our America José "Pepe" Mujica at his farm in Rincón del Cerro, on the outskirts of Montevideo, at the age of 89.

Born on May 30, 1935, Mujica assumed the presidency of his country on March 1, 2010, for a five-year term, and then remained active in local and regional politics until the end. “I’m not leaving, I’m arriving,” he said at his last official act as president on February 28, 2015, before handing over the presidential sash to his fellow party member Tabaré Vázquez. “I will leave with my last breath, and wherever I am, I will be for you, with you, because that is the highest way to be with life. Thank you, dear people,” he added.

With a recognized history of activism in the National Liberation Movement-Tupamaros in the 60s and 70s, imprisoned during the dictatorship and a historical figure in the Popular Participation Movement within the Broad Front (FA) coalition, José “Pepe” Mujica had memorable participations in the life of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences, such as in the VII Latin American and Caribbean Conference of Social Sciences in November 2015 in Medellín, Colombia, or promoting the International Course “Latin America: Citizenship, Rights and Equality” the following year.

From CLACSO we send our warmest embrace and solidarity to his comrade Lucía Topolansky, to his fellow activists, family, and friends, with the certainty that he leaves an indelible mark on the path of Latin American and Caribbean unity.

CLACSO Steering Committee
May 13th 2025