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Transcript:
Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Ryan Geertsma.
Voice 2
And I’m Robin Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Imagine a major world leader – like a president or prime minister. How do you think they live? Do you imagine they live in a large and costly home? Do they travel in big, black cars, with many security guards? Or do you think they fly in private airplanes? Many of us think of world leaders as people with great wealth. And often, this is true. But this is not the life of José Mujica. Mujica is the president of the country Uruguay, in South America. Many people call him “The World’s Poorest President.” Today’s Spotlight is on President José Mujica and his example of a different kind of world leader.
Voice 2
President Mujica could be an extremely rich world leader. Uruguay is one of South America’s wealthiest countries. It has a strong government and a low crime rate. Uruguay’s government offered to pay President Mujica a lot of money. They also offered him a huge presidential palace to live in. But President Mujica did not want to live this kind of life. Instead, he chose to live simply. Mujica gives away 90% of what the government pays him. He keeps only what an average Uruguayan citizen makes. And he gives the rest of the money to organizations that serve the poor and help people start small businesses.
Voice 1
Mujica lives on a small farm near Uruguay’s capital city. There, he and his wife farm and grow flowers. He has offered his presidential palace as a shelter for homeless people in times of emergency. He drives an old car – a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. And he does not have a driver or many security guards. When Mujica flies, he does not use private airplanes. He does not even sit in the first class seats! Mujica is definitely an unusual world leader. He lives a peaceful and simple life. And he is not afraid to live among the Uruguayan people.
Voice 2
But Mujica’s peaceful life is very different than his past. In the 1960s and 70s, he was part of an anti-government group called the Tupamaros, or the MLN. They wanted to force change in Uraguay’s government. Uruguay was a social democracy. But the MLN did not believe the government was serving the people. At first, the MLN was non-violent. But the government of Uruguay used heavy punishment on the Tupamaros, including torture. In response, the MLN began to use violence.
Voice 1
The MLN decided to operate a plan that they called “armed propaganda.” They used guns to create shocking events. They hoped these events would spread their message. They robbed food trucks, and then they gave the food away to the poor. They raided banks so that people would learn about the illegal acts that the banks were doing. They even kidnapped foreign workers who were helping the government. The situation in Uruguay became a crisis. And in 1973, the military took over the country.
Voice 2
By that time, police had shot José Mujica 6 times. And he was in prison for 14 years. Much of that time he spent completely alone. For 2 years, prison authorities put him at the bottom of a well. He began to talk to insects and frogs. He almost became insane. He survived, but his time in prison changed him.
Voice 1
In 1985, Uruguay’s military rule ended. Authorities released Mujica from prison. Mujica saw what violent revolution had done to his country. He still believed in revolution – that sometimes, it is necessary to change the government. But he knew violence was not the way to achieve it. He told The Guardian news organization,
Voice 3
“The world will always need revolution. That does not mean shooting and violence. A revolution is when you change your thinking. Ancient Chinese thought and Christianity were both revolutionary.”
Voice 2
So instead of fighting the government, Mujica decided to join it. The new government of Uruguay was a democracy. At first, he served in the law-making part of the government as a senator. Then he became the Minister of Agriculture. And in 2009, the people elected him to be Uruguay’s president.
Voice 1
President Mujica’s rule has not been perfect. Some Uruguayans like his policies. Others do not. But many people respect him. This is because Mujica lives what he believes. He believes poverty is a major problem. But he does not think just helping people make more money is the answer. He wants to help the poor in Uruguay develop their lives in positive, lasting ways. In a famous speech to the UN in 2013, he said,
Voice 3
“We have been talking for hours about lasting development. To get the masses out of poverty. But what are we thinking? Do we want the model of development of the rich countries? This model is based on consumption – on buying and owning more and more. Does this planet have enough resources so that 7 or 8 billion people can have the same level of consumption and waste that rich countries do? It is this level of hyper-consumption that is harming our planet.”
Voice 2
President Mujica told the UN that global culture presents a lie to people. He said that the average person in modern cities lives his life between banks and offices. He said this person dreams of holidays, of being able to pay his bills, and of freedom. But President Mujica told the UN that this kind of life – this model of development – is not the answer. He said,
Voice 3
“We are proposing a life of waste which is a bill that moves us backward. It is against simplicity, against society, against nature, and even worse, against freedom. Freedom means having free time to enjoy human relations and the only eternal things: love, friendship, fun and exploration, unity, and family.”
Voice 1
President Mujica’s simple life is a living example of his political message. But he does not like to be called “The World’s Poorest President” – because he does not think he is poor at all. He told Al Jazeera,
Voice 3
“Poor are the people who describe me as poor. My idea of poor is people who need too much. Because those who need too much are never satisfied.”
Voice 2
President Mujica may not have private airplanes or costly homes. But, even without these things, he is rich.