MUJICA, The World's "Poorest President"
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lelnaugUd1Q
Former Uruguayan President José Mujica, known as "Pepe", has passed away at the age of 89.
The ex-guerrilla who
governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 was known as the world's "poorest
president" due to his modest
lifestyle.
Because of the simple way he lived as president, his criticism of
consumerism and the social reforms he promoted - which, among other things,
meant Uruguay became the first country to legalise the recreational use of marijuana - Mujica became a well-known
political figure in Latin America and beyond.
His global popularity is unusual for a president of Uruguay, a country with merely 3.4 million inhabitants where his legacy has also generated some
controversy.
He said his passion for politics, as well as for books and working the land, was passed down to him by his mother, who raised him in a middle-class home in Montevideo, the capital city.
In the 1960s, he helped set up a leftist urban guerrilla group that carried
out assaults, kidnappings and executions, although he always
maintained that he did not commit any murder.
Influenced by the Cuban revolution and international socialism, they
launched a campaign of clandestine resistance against the Uruguayan government,
which at the time was constitutional and democratic, although the left accused
it of being more and more authoritarian.
During this period, Mujica was
captured four times. On one of those occasions, in 1970, he was shot six times
and nearly died.
He escaped from prison twice, on one occasion through a tunnel with 105 other political prisoners, in one of the largest escapes in Uruguayan prison history.
During the more than 14 years he spent in prison during the 1970s and
1980s, he was tortured and spent most of that time in harsh conditions and isolation, until he was freed in 1985
when Uruguay returned to democracy.
The day he was freed was his happiest memory, he says: "Becoming president was insignificant compared to that." He became Uruguay's president in 2010 at the age of 74.
During his administration, the Uruguayan economy grew at an average annual
rate of 5.4%, poverty was reduced, and unemployment remained low.
Uruguay also drew global attention for its social laws such as the
legalisation of abortion, the recognition of same-sex marriage, and state
regulation of the marijuana market.
While in office, Mujica rejected moving into the presidential residence, as
heads of state around the world usually do.
Instead, he remained with his wife - politician and former guerrilla Lucía Topolansky - in their modest home on
the outskirts of Montevideo,
with no domestic help and
little security.
This combined with the fact that he always dressed casually, that he was
often seen driving his light blue 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and gave away a large
portion of his salary, led some in the media to call him "the world's
poorest president".
But Mujica always rejected that title: "They say I'm the poorest
president. No, I'm not. Poor are those who want more because they are in an
endless race."
By the end of his administration, Mujica had a high domestic popularity
rating which was close to 70% and was elected senator, but also spent part of
his time travelling the world after he stepped
down as president.
"So what it is that
catches the world's attention? That I live with very little, a simple house,
that I drive around in an old car? Then this world is crazy because it's
surprised by what is normal," he reflected before leaving office.
His presidency was not without criticism. Some
opponents argued that his government lacked efficiency and failed to deliver significant economic reforms,
especially in improving infrastructure. Critics also pointed to rising crime
rates during his term and felt that his administration did not do enough to
address security concerns.
Last year, Mujica announced he had cancer and made references to his age
and the proximity of death . But he always accepted the final outcome as something natural,
without drama.
In the last interview he gave the BBC in November last year, he said: "One knows that death is inevitable. And perhaps it's like the salt of life."
2.VOCABULARY:
Paragraph 1
|
1. |
Recreational |
a. |
A person who takes part in informal military actions, often against a
government |
|
2. |
Raised |
b. |
Make a physical attack |
|
3. |
Guerrilla |
c. |
To put someone
to death as a legal punishment |
|
4. |
Assault |
d. |
To demand that people obey completely and
refuse to allow them freedom to act as they wish |
|
5. |
Kidnapping |
e. |
To take a
person away illegally by force, usually in order to demand money in exchange
for releasing them |
|
6. |
Execution |
f. |
Bring up a child |
|
7. |
Authoritarian |
g. |
Relating to an occasional activity done for
enjoyment |
Paragraph 2
|
8. |
Domestic
help |
h. |
To make changes,
especially in institutions in order to improve it. |
|
9. |
Outskirts |
i. |
A person who is paid to do the
cleaning and other tasks in a person's home. |
|
10. | Lack |
|
|
|
|
j. |
To resign or quit an important position |
|
|
11. |
Inevitable |
k. |
Far from the center
of a town or a city |
|
12. |
Reforms |
l. |
Certain
to happen, unavoidble |
| 13. |
Step down |
m. |
To be without or not having enough of something |
3. SYNONYM MATCH A: Match the following synonyms
from the article.
1. Passed away
2. Passed down
3. Harsh
4. Reject
5. Casual
6. Significant
7. Outcome
8. Former
9. Merely
10. Regulation
11. Gave away
12. Modest
a. Turn down
b. Died
c. Inherited
d. Cruel and Severe
e. Humble
f. Ex
g. Important
h. Informal
i. Result
j. Donated
k. Only
l. Control
4: What is the correct missing word
Use the following words:controversy,reforms, pragmatic, inevitable , torture,modest, guerrilla, democracy
- Mujica lived a __________ life in a small house
with few possessions.
- He was part of a __________ group in the 1960s
that opposed the government.
- Mujica passed social __________, including the
legalization of marijuana.
- During his time in prison, he was subjected to
__________ and isolation.
- He was considered a __________ politician who
focused on what worked.
- After years of dictatorship, Uruguay returned to
__________ in 1985.
- His leadership also brought some __________,
especially regarding education.
- In his later years, Mujica was diagnosed with cancer and said that death is __________.
Mujica is remembered for his humble
lifestyle and progressive reforms. Here are the most important changes and
achievements during his presidency:Discuss each one and its importance:
1. Legalization of Marijuana
2. Legalization of Same-Sex
Marriage
3. Abortion Rights
4. Renewable Energy Transition
5. Focus on Poverty and Inequality
6. Support for Education and
Free Laptops For Students.
7. Leading by Example by Donating
90 % of his Salary to Charity
6. Fill in the blanks:
1.Uruguay is a small country between Brazil and Argentina.
2. The capital is Montevideo, which has access to the Atlatic ocean. It´s a city.
3. When Mujica was the president, his wife Lucia was the .
4. Uruguay has been one of the first countries in leading social and legal reforms, such as legalizing same-sex marriage, abortion, and recreational marijuana. It is a
in these areas.
5. Uruguay has a world-class beef industry. In fact, cows people 4 to 1 .
6. The first ever Fifa World Cup took place in Uruguay. Montevideo all the games.
7. Mujica´s paternal grandparents were from the Basque Country. His maternal grandparents were from Genoa. He has Spanish and Italian .
8. Mujica and his wife did not have kids. They were .
9.Mujica had the image of being a very good and honest person . He was hardworking, reliable and humble. He can be describes as being: ¨ of the earth¨.
10. How would you pronounce these:
- Mujica was the 40th President of Uruguay.
- Zapatero was the 14th President of the Government of Spain.
- 2016 was the 400th anniversay of the death of Cervantes
7. Phrasal Verbs: In the text, Mujica said that his passion for politics and justice was passed down to him by his mother
What is the
meaning of Passed Down and what is the
meaning of these other phrasal verbs that start with Pass ?
1. Pass
Away
2. Pass
On
3. Pass
Over
4. Pass
Out
5. Pass
Down
6. Pass
Up
A. Could you please
this message to your colleagues that I will
be 5 minutes late to the meeting ?
B. Mujica in May, 2025. His funeral took place the following day.
C. She was very disappointed when she was for the promotion at work.
D. If you go to Canada for a vacation , don’t the opportunity to see
Niagra Falls.
E. My house in Costa Brava belonged to my grandparents
and
it was to me.
F. I was so tired after work that when I arrived home I as soon as I sat on the couch.
8. Choose a Country:
South America is home to 12 independent countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Choose a country from this list and share with us what you know about it. Either from your own experience or what you have researched or been told about it.
9. Speaking & Conversation Activities
1. Debate:
“Leaders should live simply and avoid luxury.”
Split the class into two groups and have them debate this idea.
2. Discussion Questions:
- What makes a leader “great”?
- Should politicians have limits on their salaries or lifestyles?
- Is it possible to be both revolutionary and a political leader in a democratic system?
3. Agree OR Disagree:
Tell us if you agree or disagree with the following statements and why:
- Mujica’s simple lifestyle made him a better leader.
- Governments should legalize marijuana.
- It’s okay to break the law for political reasons.
- Money and power always corrupt politicians.
10.Questions about Mujica:
🔎 Comprehension Questions
-
What nickname was José Mujica known by around the world?
-
Why was Mujica often called “the world’s poorest president”?
-
What type of lifestyle did Mujica choose to live while in office?
-
What major social reforms did Mujica introduce during his presidency?
-
How did Mujica describe people who constantly want more?
-
What happened to Mujica during his time in prison in the 1970s and 1980s?
-
How many times did Mujica escape from prison?
-
What was Mujica’s happiest memory, according to him?
-
What did Mujica do with most of his presidential salary?
-
How did Mujica become involved in politics in the first place?
💬 Vocabulary & Language Use Questions
-
What does the word guerrilla mean in the context of Mujica’s early life?
-
What is a reform? Can you name one Mujica introduced?
-
What does Mujica mean by “Poor are those who want more because they are in an endless race”?
🧠 Critical Thinking / Opinion Questions
-
Do you think Mujica’s way of living made him a better leader? Why or why not?
-
Should more world leaders follow Mujica’s example and live simply? Why?
-
Is it ever acceptable to break the law for political reasons? Explain your view.
-
Mujica said that being freed from prison was more important than becoming president. What does this say about his values?
-
Do you believe personal honesty and modesty are more important than political power and luxury in a leader? Why or why not?
Comments
Post a Comment