José Mujica Biography

Jose Mujica was the president of Uruguay. Growing up in the poor and remote section of his native country, he had a difficult start in life. When his father was crushed by heavy debt, which eventually led to his death, Jose was forced to help his family survive. He took this sense of toughness with him when he joined an armed revolutionary group. Training and living in the jungle, the guerillas were determined to fight off the yoke of a brutal dictatorship. After a series of daring raids, Jose and his companions were unable to resist the overwhelming opposition forces and were convicted and given long sentences behind bars. After a grueling, difficult period of incarceration, he was finally released. Determined to pursue change by a different path, he ran for office and quickly rose through the ranks. After securing a productive term as a cabinet minister, Mujica threw his hat in the ring and was elected president. Following through on his campaign promises, he quickly implemented a number of far-reaching social justice programs for his country. Making alliances with a number of friendly, like-minded nations led to greater influence and trade in the region. After a transformational and productive term in office, Mujica peacefully stepped down from the presidency and peacefully retired to a private life