Jose Mujica aka El Pepe has announced that he will no longer accept treatment for his progressing illness.
Jose Mujica aka El Pepe, who has a unique place not only in South America but also in world politics, has announced that he will no longer accept treatment for his progressing illness. As you know, what made him so iconic was his transformation into a global source of inspiration after he was introduced as “the poorest president in the world” by TIME. His UN speeches went viral, his outlook on life and philosophical approach attracted worldwide attention. His criticisms, especially towards the consumer society and materialism, were met with a response from many. In his last interview, he said in tears, “I want to say goodbye to my citizens” and said that he will spend the rest of his time on his farm. Pepe states that he wants to be buried next to his dog Manuela, under the sequoia tree on his farm :( Even in this last interview, he does not neglect to give social messages; he says, “It is easy to agree with those who think like you, but the basis of democracy is to learn to respect those who think differently.” I think his life was really impressive because it contained all the magnificence of simplicity. Learning that he does not have much time left was enough to upset me even if I was thousands of miles away :( In my opinion, this extraordinary president who strives for social equality, justice, peace, and a humane life for everyone, is the world’s leader not only politically but also in terms of his outlook on life and values. He was one of the wisest people he had seen recently. To give you an idea of what kind of person he was, I recommend you watch director Emir Kusturica's documentary about the Uruguayan President, "El Pepe, A Supreme Life." The documentary is so much taken from his own life that we see all kinds of evidence of the modesty that made him famous in the simplicity Pepe displays when he chats, cooks, walks his dogs or works in his garden. We witness his life, which is an application of the same ideas and attitudes in the political arena as in his home life. Kusturica presents Pepe as a statesman with photographs and archive footage. On the other hand, he also wants to draw our attention to Pepe's relationship with his wife Lucia Topolansky, with whom he shares his wisdom, and lets us share many emotional moments of their life together from their youth to the present. Even when Pepe says in his last interview, "I will now wait to die in peace next to my wife," he draws our attention to the place of this life companionship in his ability to be himself, in my opinion. While being inspired, the will to reflect not only with thoughts but also by embodying these thoughts in flesh and blood seems very valuable to me... Pepe, who puts forward the argument that "What kind of life you want to live is in your hands" with his life, underlines that people are actually imprisoned inside themselves and gives the prompt of how to be free. His life may not fit into a documentary, but I guarantee you that it will leave permanent marks in your mind. 💙 Writer: Onur Küçükkaramıklı (Quote)
