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Latin America mourns the death of the Tupamaro guerrilla who became a world symbol of political coherence and honesty. Former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica passed away this Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the age of 89 at his farm in Rincón del Cerro, Montevideo, after battling a terminal phase of esophageal cancer. He was accompanied by his wife, Lucía Topolansky

Although Jose Mujica withdrew from electoral politics, he remained active in the grassroots work of the Popular Participation Movement, continuing to serve as a prominent figure for the Latin American left until the end of his life. This iconic leader governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. In his youth, during the 1960s and 1970s, Mujica was part of the National Liberation Movement–Tupamaros, a guerrilla group remembered for its daring operations in urban resistance against the dictatorship.

He spent approximately 13 years in prison. Mujica was captured multiple times and imprisoned from the early 1970s until 1985, during Uruguay’s civic-military dictatorship. He endured harsh conditions, spending most of his incarceration in solitary confinement. Once released, he became involved in party politics. As president, Mujica became a global reference point for his extremely austere lifestyle and his commitment to fighting poverty and promoting social equality.

“Pepe Mujica was a Tupamaro, a leftist, and anti-imperialist. He was the Uruguayan president who legalized abortion, marijuana, and gay marriage. His political impact on human civilization was so positive, and he remains an icon of freedom and dignity for Latin America.”

Early Steps Toward an Unwavering Social Commitment

Born in Montevideo in 1935, Mujica spent much of his youth working in the countryside. In the 1960s, he became interested in agricultural and social issues, which led him to active political engagement. This occurred as Uruguay’s economy began to stagnate, hitting the middle and lower classes the hardest.

In 1962, Mujica left the National Party and joined the Tupamaros, an urban guerrilla movement with a Marxist orientation inspired by the Cuban Revolution. There, he met Lucia Topolansky, who would become a legislator, vice president and his lifelong partner. Mujica participated in guerrilla actions and was imprisoned multiple times, the last being in 1972 at the beginning of the dictatorship. He spent most of his confinement in solitary isolation until his release in 1985, when democracy was restored in Uruguay. That experience deeply shaped his later focus on dialogue and social peace.

After his release, Mujica entered electoral politics. Alongside other former guerrillas, he co-founded the Popular Participation Movement, which became a faction within the Broad Front, a left-wing coalition founded in the 1970s. Mujica was elected to the legislature in 1995 and became a senator in 1999. In these roles, he contributed to the legalization of informal labor and improvements in social security for urban workers and farmers. From 2005 to 2008, he served as minister of agriculture during the administration of Tabare Vazquez. His impeccable reputation and enduring popularity propelled him to the presidency in 2010.

Mujica’s Latin American Dimension

During his presidency from 2010 to 2015, Mujica implemented social inclusion and welfare policies. A key example of his progressive outlook was the passage of the Equal Marriage Act in 2013.

His “Together Plan” focused on improving housing conditions for the poorest families, while the “Equity Plan” continued financial support for households with children in vulnerable situations.

Although Mujica was unable to carry out a major educational reform, the Uruguayan economy continued to grow, and poverty declined steadily during his administration.

He diversified Uruguay’s productive matrix without abandoning agricultural investment, strengthening the country’s position as a food exporter. One of his most groundbreaking initiatives was the 2013 legalization of the production, sale, and consumption of cannabis—a global first.

Internationally, Mujica sought diplomatic balance and promoted dialogue as a means of resolving geopolitical conflicts. Under his leadership, Uruguay solidified its role in regional organizations such as the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

A Politician Who Shone Through Simplicity

After completing his presidential term, Mujica remained active in both international and national politics, while his image became amplified by his charisma and wisdom. At various forums and institutional settings, he continued to passionately advocate against imperialism and for the self-determination of peoples.

Known for his austere lifestyle and concern for environmental issues, Mujica frequently urged world leaders and citizens alike to adopt a more humane and less consumerist mindset—one that aimed for sustainable development for future generations.

“We have invented a mountain of superfluous needs. Shopping for new, discarding the old… That’s a waste of our lives! When I buy something, or you, we’re not paying with money. We’re paying with the time from our lives we had to spend to earn that money,” he said.

Mujica returned to his Senate seat from 2015 to 2018. Later, he continued to influence public discourse as an active commentator on political and economic developments. In April, he announced his intention to step away from the public spotlight due to being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Nevertheless, to the extent that his health allowed, Mujica remained politically active as a committed grassroots member of Uruguayan left. He participated in several campaign rallies during the election that brought Broad Front candidate Yamandu Orsi to the presidency.

“To live in accordance with how one thinks, that’s what I call having dignity. That’s how I try to live. And I don’t say that others should do it, but I do believe that if politicians lived like the majority, they would be respected,” said Mujica, a man who donated most of his presidential salary, drove an old Volkswagen Beetle, and lived in a modest farmhouse—choices that made his words resonate far beyond Uruguay.

Venezuela and Russia signed a 10-year agreement establishing stronger bilateral ties and closer cooperation on energy matters. Mexico City, Mexico, May 9, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement on May 7 during President Nicolás Maduro’s official visit to Moscow.

The 10-year Strategic Cooperation Agreement strengthens bilateral ties, covering key areas such as security, defense, trade, and technology, and a Glonass navigation station in Venezuela. The deal includes expanded initiatives on energy matters as part of both countries’ efforts to navigate US-led unilateral coercive measures, with a commitment to joint initiatives within multilateral energy organizations such as OPEC.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Maduro also pledged closer cooperation between their countries at the United Nations in opposition to sanctions. The latest agreement, described by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as a “substantial” and “very important” framework, builds on over 350 existing agreements since 2019, and aims to boost economic resilience and counter Western sanctions through closer diplomatic and financial collaboration.

Maduro was in the Russian capital to participate in official commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. “Our presence here confirms that the path of humanity must be peace, understanding, respect for equality and is also an expression of the infinite historical admiration for the Russian people,” said Maduro during his appearance alongside Putin at the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Among the attendees for the 80th anniversary commemorations were Chinese President Xi Jinping and Burkinabé President Ibrahim Traoré. From Latin America, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also travelled to Moscow for the historic event. Maduro and Díaz-Canel together laid a wreath at the monument of Latin American independence hero Simón Bolívar in the Russian capital.

Maduro held a bilateral meeting with Burkina Faso’s Traoré on the sidelines of the official celebrations. The Venezuelan president also met with Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov and Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Commemorations included a massive military parade on Red Square in the presence of dozens of world leaders on Friday, which Maduro described as “impressive and imposing.”

“We give credit to members of the Resistance who bravely fought Nazism as well as the troops of the allied armies of the United States, Great Britain and other countries. We remember and honor the feat of Chinese soldiers in the fight against Japanese militarism,” said Putin at the start of the military parade.

At a gala held a day earlier at the Grand Kremlin Palace, Maduro was seated next to Chinese President Xi. The two leaders later held high-level bilateral talks where Maduro celebrated the agreement establishing an “all-weather strategic partnership” between Beijing and Caracas.

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez recently visited China as part of the country’s push for strengthened economic and political ties with China. The Asian giant is Venezuela’s main destination for crude exports.

As agreed by the government, the deadline for the approval of the new law aimed at improving public finances, which was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, expired on May 9.

The delay in the presentation of the regulation was aired by opposition deputies such as Claudia Ortiz, from Vamos, and Marcela Villatoro, from Arena, who stated that they have not received, for the moment, any draft or request for the new Fiscal Responsibility Law.

The regulation is essential in the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreement with the IMF, for the financing of US$ 1.4 billion approved in February, and which will implement “more robust rules to improve budgetary accountability”.

According to economist Rommel Rodríguez, of the National Foundation for Development (Funde), the approval cannot be ignored because it is a structural objective that serves as a basis for meeting other fiscal objectives.

In an agreement where the fiscal issue is fundamental, I believe that it (the Fiscal Responsibility Law) cannot be ignored. It is a structural goal or objective, it is key and in extreme cases there would be an extension or a waiting period for the organization, he said.

Meanwhile, for the former president of the Central Reserve Bank (BCR), economist Carlos Acevedo, the IMF does not usually like non-compliance with agreements, except for a good excuse, and suggested “reestablishing and adjusting the previous Fiscal Responsibility Law, which is quite good”.

This law should be “approved as soon as possible, so as not to start making a mess of things before the IMF at the first opportunity”, he said.

The agreement with the multilateral for a 1.4 billion dollar program starts with an immediate disbursement of 113 million dollars and includes a fiscal adjustment of 3.5 points of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for three years, starting with a tranche of 1.5 percentage points of the GDP for this year 2025.

Boric spoke at the inauguration of the IV Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the China-Celac Forum (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), where the heads of state of Brazil, Colombia and the host country, among other authorities, are participating.

“From Chile, in these turbulent times, we come to reaffirm our deep conviction that free and fair trade for the benefit of our peoples is the path to progress and development of nations,” he said.

The Chilean head of state defended the sovereign decision of each country to be able to decide with whom and when to trade, because trade -he affirmed- is the encounter between peoples and we want to meet with everyone and not have to opt for one or the other by imposition.

Boric called for a leap in quality in economic ties with China, promoting technical meetings, business and high-level meetings, as well as activating policies, productive development, innovation, infrastructure, transportation, logistics and quality of human resources.

In his speech, he highlighted the project for a bioceanic corridor that will link the Atlantic with the Pacific, passing through Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile. This will allow greater integration and connection between South America and Asia-Pacific, he added.

The president warned that humanity is currently facing the dilemma of cooperate or perish, a phrase pronounced decades ago by Chilean diplomat Hernán Santa Cruz, which today resonates with full force.

Foreign Ministry sources said there was no reference to trade in talks between U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9.

They said there was also no reference to trade in talks after the launch of Operation Sindoor between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar on May 8 and 10 and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on May 10.

On Saturday, India and Pakistan agreed to halt all firing and military actions on land, air and sea in talks between the director generals of military operations.

A statement from the Indian foreign secretary confirmed that the decision was taken after a phone call from the Pakistani side and instructions were given to give effect to the agreement.

In talks the previous day, in a second discussion between the military chiefs, issues related to the continuity of the commitment of both sides not to fire or initiate any aggressive or hostile action against each other were discussed.

According to diplomatic sources in New Delhi, it was also agreed that both sides would consider immediate measures to ensure troop reductions at borders and forward areas.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed his rejection of all proposals for the forced displacement of Palestinians during a high-level meeting with Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Hussein Ibrahim Taha on the sidelines of Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.

A Call for Immediate Action on Gaza Abbas briefed the OIC on efforts to halt Israel’s military campaign, describing it as genocidal aggression targeting Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Jerusalem. He emphasized the urgent priority of securing:

The full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza

• Unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid
• The return of displaced Palestinians
• The commencement of Gaza’s reconstruction
• Palestinian Sovereignty and Regional Stability
• President Abbas expressed gratitude to the OIC for its unwavering support of Palestinian self-determination, reiterating the right of Palestinians to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Secretary General Hussein Ibrahim Taha reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to Palestinian rights, condemning Israel’s ongoing offensive and stressing that the creation of an independent Palestinian state is vital for regional and global stability.

Beijing, May 13 (Prensa Latina) “No country can get ahead on its own,” Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized here today, stressing that Latin America and the Caribbean must work together to overcome historic challenges. The president made this call during the opening of the IV Ministerial Meeting of the China-Celac Forum (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), with the participation of his host, Xi Jinping, as well as other leaders of the region.

In Lula’s opinion, Latin America faces a crossroads: to remain a region marked by poverty or to become a center of sustainable, inclusive and fair development. He called for avoiding mistakes made in 500 years of history, such as exploitation and confrontation between blocs.

He added that the region should advocate for a multipolar order where developing countries have a voice and a vote in global affairs, while strengthening the South-South dialogue mechanism. Regarding ties with the Asian giant, he pondered the expansion of such ties over the last decade.

“Currently, China is Brazil’s second largest trading partner and one of the most important partners for the region, with approximately 500 companies active in several Latin American countries,” he said.

He explained that the resources coming from Chinese financial institutions exceed even the credit offered by the World Bank or, at least, are comparable.

During the last decades, the boost in the export of raw materials has contributed to raising the region’s profile in the global economy, Lula added.

The president considered that this economic flow has also allowed many countries to develop strategic projects in infrastructure, agriculture and energy. He also recalled Beijing’s support during Covid-19 and the vaccines supplied from here to protect millions of people in the region.

“Challenges remain, however. The economic viability of many projects depends on better coordination among Latin American countries,” he stressed.

Lula emphasized the importance of articulating common policies and facilitating the free movement of goods and services in LAC to take better advantage of initiatives such as the Belt and Road that promote the development of roads, railroads and digital networks.

“Long-term prosperity requires strong and balanced economies. Latin America and the Caribbean seek to reduce economic and social asymmetries through inclusive policies and international collaborations,” he stressed.

In this regard, he said that cooperation with China can contribute to strengthening local industry and foster technological innovation. “The development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence should not become the exclusive privilege of a few countries,” he opined. According to Lula, a transition to low-carbon economies requires universal access to clean technologies, especially in vulnerable regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean.

Montevideo, May 13 (Prensa Latina) The specialized prosecutor for Crimes against Humanity, Ricardo Perciballe, requested the prosecution with imprisonment and the closing of borders for the former commander in chief of the Uruguayan Navy, Tabaré Daners, it was reported today.

Perciballe filed the same claim for sailors Nelson Wander Olivera, Raúl Fernando Lecumberry and Eduardo José Mendoza. All of them are being investigated for the torture of 10 members of the Union of Communist Youth (UJC) and the Communist Party of Uruguay (PCU) in August 1977.

In the document presented to the Justice the prosecutor points out that they were detained in the Fusileros Navales (Fusna), “interrogated and tortured so that they would admit their links to the referred structures, as well as to provide the names of other members”. The testimonies collected by the prosecutor give an account of the tortures they suffered while they were held in the Fusna.

“There are two forms of torture, physical (cattle prods, hangings, waterboarding, clubbing, kicking) and then there is psychological torture, which they do not touch (…) We were all subjected to the same treatment, all of this happened in the Fusna,” said one of the witnesses. Perciballe requested the prosecution of Daners for crimes of serious injuries, deprivation of liberty and private violence against the detainees. Tabaré Daners appears as summary judge in several cases in which the complainants ended up being prosecuted by the so-called “military justice” with “absolutely spurious” and “fraudulent” sentences, says the document from the prosecutor’s office.

Russia was and will remain an insurmountable barrier to Nazism, Russophobia, and antisemitism, he stressed. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to continue fighting Nazism, including in Ukraine, during the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory in World War II.

“Russia was and will remain an insurmountable barrier to Nazism, Russophobia, and antisemitism, and will combat the brutality of those promoting such aggressive and destructive ideas,” Putin said during his address from a tribune set up in Red Square in front of Lenin’s Mausoleum.

Putin declared that his country would never forget the lessons of the WW2, in which the USSR— which did not engage in the war until Germany invaded Soviet territory in 1941— lost 26 million people, including eight million soldiers. Although Kyiv did not officially join the three-day unilateral truce declared by Putin, Ukrainian drones did not spoil the Kremlin’s celebration, and none had flown over Russian territory since the day before.

Putin and Xi, Inseparable

A smiling Putin appeared on the tribune between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the 100-year-old Soviet veteran Ivan Martinushkin, the last living witness who participated in the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland by the Red Army on January 27, 1945.

Putin did not part from Xi for a single moment, constantly making comments to him about the units and military equipment parading over the cobblestones of the square. Not even when they later laid a floral offering at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

In addition to Russian troops, military detachments from thirteen countries marched, including an honor guard from China’s People’s Liberation Army. Not far from Putin sat invited leaders such as Lula da Silva (Brazil), Nicolas Maduro (Venezuela), Miguel Diaz-Canel (Cuba), Teodoro Obiang (Equatorial Guinea), and Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus).

Also invited to the tribune were American and Israeli war veterans, but notably absent were representatives from the Soviet Union’s World War II allies, who did attend the 50th and 60th anniversaries in 1995 and 2005.

Nazism Is Still Alive

Putin, who requested a moment of silence in memory of the fallen, asserted that “truth and justice” are on Russia’s side in fighting the rehabilitation of Nazism, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—who is of Jewish descent—of doing just that.

He emphasized that the ancestors of the Russian people “entrusted” their descendants to “firmly defend national interests, their millennia-old history, culture, traditional values, and everything that is valuable and sacred to us,” clearly alluding to the Russian language and Orthodox religion in Ukraine.

“The entire country, society, and people support the participants in the special military operation. We are proud of their bravery and determination, that strength of spirit which has always and only brought us victory,” he said and paid tribute to the role played by the Allied countries in defeating Hitler’s forces.

“We will always remember that the opening of a second front in Europe after the decisive battles on Soviet territory brought the victory closer… Russia highly values the contribution to our shared victory made by the soldiers of the Allied armies, resistance fighters, the brave Chinese people, and all those who fought for a peaceful future,” Putin stated.

“The complete defeat of Nazi Germany, militarist Japan, and their satellites in various parts of the world was achieved thanks to joint efforts,” he insisted.

Intercontinental Missiles and Assault Drones

During the parade itself, around 130 war machines rolled through, including the legendary Soviet T-34 tanks and SU-100 self-propelled artillery units, both used during WW2. One of the stars of the parade was the imposing Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have a range of up to 7,500 miles.

Also on display were T-90M Proryv tanks—the first Russian tank with an automatic transmission; the 152mm Malva artillery piece mounted on an eight-wheeled BAZ chassis; Iskander ballistic missiles; and the new Kurganets-25 armored personnel carrier.

But the real novelty was the drones, which have proven highly effective in Ukraine. Specifically, the parade featured Geran-2 drones, widely believed to be copies of Iranian Shahed drones; Orlan reconnaissance drones; and Lancet kamikaze drones, all transported on Kamaz off-road trucks.