Pepe Mujica: From political prisoner to Uruguayan president | Ep 36 Stories of Resistance

The Real News Podcast · May 20, 2025 · 7m

José “Pepe” Mujica was a former political prisoner who suffered more than a decade of prison and torture under Uruguay’s military dictatorship. He rose to become the country’s president from 2010 through 2015.

They called him the world’s humblest president. He was often seen driving himself in his 1987 baby blue VW bug. He lived on a farm. His clothes were simple. So were his words and his actions. Yet he created tremendous change and left an indelible mark on the tiny country of Uruguay and the entire region of Latin America.

This is episode 36 of Stories of Resistance—a podcast co-produced…