Guantánamo.- Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and Cuba’s Foreign Minister, mourned the death of José “Pepe” Mujica, former president of Uruguay, at the age of 89.
“We bid farewell to our dear friend Pepe Mujica, who will always be remembered as a tireless fighter for the freedom and unity of Our America,” the Cuban Foreign Minister wrote on his X account.
In his social media post, Rodríguez Parrilla expressed solidarity with Mujica’s widow, Lucía, as well as the Uruguayan government, family, and friends.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel also lamented Mujica’s passing on X, stating:
“Our America mourns the loss of Mujica. His extraordinary life recalls the dark era of U.S.-backed military dictatorships but also the hopeful stage of leftist governments in power and the unrealized dream of integration. We must not forget.”
Born on May 20, 1935, in Montevideo, Mujica was involved in political activism from a young age. In the 1960s, he joined the National Liberation Movement-Tupamaros (MLN-T), an urban guerrilla group fighting dictatorship and repression in Uruguay.
After democracy was restored in 1985, Mujica transitioned to formal politics, rising through the ranks of the leftist Broad Front coalition. He served as a deputy (1994), senator (1999), and president (2010–2015).
