The death of José “Pepe” Mujica, former president of Uruguay, marks the end of an era in Latin American politics. Regiane Bressan, Professor of International Relations at UNIFESP, in an interview with CNN Brazil he highlighted the legacy left by Mujica not only for his country, but for all of Latin America.
According to Bressan, Mujica stood out for his coherent and faithful performance to his ideals. “He was a president who stood out for being a humble, simple figure, for speaking to those who were marginalized,” said the teacher. Its administration was marked by the approval of progressive measures in Uruguay, at a time when many countries had not yet started such discussions.
Social and political impact
The former Uruguayan president won not only the society of his country, but in all of Latin America by facing crucial problems such as unemployment, inequality and poverty.
Bressan stressed that Mujica “managed to conquer not only Uruguayan society, but all of Latin America, because he actually acted facing unemployment, facing inequality, poverty, that is, giving better living conditions to the marginalized, the underprivileged of his country.”
One of the most notable examples of Mujica’s humility and commitment was the donation of 70% of his presidential salary to the construction of popular housing and his political party. This gesture, according to Bressan, should inspire other political leaders, especially in countries facing high levels of poverty and inequality.
Democratic legacy
In addition to his social policies, Mujica left an important legacy for Uruguayan democracy. The teacher pointed out that he “was very respectful with the democratic institutions of her country” and helped consolidate democracy in Uruguay. This is reflected in the fact that in the last elections, even with opposition parties vying for the presidency, none represented a threat to democracy or proposed radical changes in the country.
Bressan also addressed the challenge of forming new leaders in Latin America to follow the example of Mujica. She observed that there is a culture in the region that tends to deposit excessive power in presidents, which can lead to the emergence of authoritarian governments.
“There are studies that show that for Latin American society a president could have superpowers and so society is approving that the president breaks with democratic institutions,” he explained.
This content was originally published in a teacher explains the importance of Pepe Mujica’s legacy for Latin America on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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