It’s a common grumble that politicians’ lifestyles are far removed from those of their electorate. Not so in Uruguay. Meet the president – who lives on a ramshackle farm and gives away most of his pay.
Laundry is strung outside the house. The water comes from a well in a yard, overgrown with weeds. Only two police officers and Manuela, a three-legged dog, keep watch outside. This is the residence of the president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, whose lifestyle clearly differs sharply from that of most other world leaders.
President Mujica has shunned the luxurious house that the Uruguayan state provides for its leaders and opted to stay at his wife’s farmhouse, off a dirt road outside the capital, Montevideo.
The president and his wife work the land themselves, growing flowers.
This austere lifestyle – and the fact that Mujica donates about 90% of his monthly salary, equivalent to $12,000 (£7,500), to charity – has led him to be labelled the poorest president in the world.
“I’ve lived like this most of my life,” he says, sitting on an old chair in his garden, using a cushion favoured by Manuela the dog.
“I can live well with what I have.”
His charitable donations – which benefit poor people and small entrepreneurs – mean his salary is roughly in line with the average Uruguayan income of $775 (£485) a month.
In 2010, his annual personal wealth declaration – mandatory for officials in Uruguay – was $1,800 (£1,100), the value of his 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.
This year, he added half of his wife’s assets – land, tractors and a house – reaching $215,000 (£135,000).
That’s still only about two-thirds of Vice-President Danilo Astori’s declared wealth, and a third of the figure declared by Mujica’s predecessor as president, Tabare Vasquez.
Elected in 2009, Mujica spent the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Uruguayan guerrilla Tupamaros, a leftist armed group inspired by the Cuban revolution.
He was shot six times and spent 14 years in jail. Most of his detention was spent in harsh conditions and isolation, until he was freed in 1985 when Uruguay returned to democracy.
Those years in jail, Mujica says, helped shape his outlook on life.
“I’m called ‘the poorest president’, but I don’t feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always want more and more,” he says. “This is a matter of freedom. If you don’t have many possessions then you don’t need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself,” he says.
“I may appear to be an eccentric old man… But this is a free choice.”
Lovely personality. Deserves the Noble price for setting a noble example in austerity; something the world needs most.
Can we elect him our president? The one we have, lives like a Roman Emperor.
unbelievable, i love this man. he understanding of life is quite extraordinary.
Amidst the chaotic atmosphere in this world,this man gives a sense of peacefulness and contentment which we strive to achieve.Rare…kudos to him!
The man is a living Saint may God Bless Uruguay and its people and may all people live like the qualties he possesses.
i appreciate this president who doesn't have asset, u should be ashamed our president
jose, is a great man and am proud of him. i hope Nigerian politicians can learn from ds
He is just d best and d most freest man on earth for now!
God almighty who gave dis wisdom n peace wil neva let him down, hw i wish dis greedy leaders in nigeria should learn 4rm dis man a 1 in a million man. The Lord almighty wil bless him.
How i wish nigeria leader could life their style like his, here commonCOUNCELLOR keep asset over 500m, Is number 1 among the world leader, keep your flag up MUJICA!.
He’s a good example especialy to our african leader,i like the way he manage himself to a comunity.
Is this a true story /can this happen today in this world of personal accumulation of wealth,corruption,fraud,?
Do we still have saints living with us?
God,you are so good to Uruguay!!!!
Examplary leadership!
if all presidents and reach people were to behave like that,the world would be rich and every one would be happy
My Salute to the President. No one can replace his position. He is an iron man. God bless him. We need such a President in Pakistan who can perish the environment prevailing now. Ikram qureshi Pakistan. He is so far I wish to hugg the person
I wish "leaders" of the third world would learn lesson from him and also lead life of such humility. May God bless him and let other follow him as role model.
In his personality he’s shown the world dat freedom from worldly possessions is the real wealth. How I wish we had leaders of such nature in Nigeria who’ll give precedence to the well-being of the people and not touring the world with the taxpayers’ money got out of gushhing sweat! He is a true man to himself and his people…
Jose different from jona d richest president in d world
he_is_the_best_president_in_The_world…..
I salute u sir. One in million. Fellow politician learn this. God bless U.
I would pay just to shake hands with him that much ov a man he is!
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