Most of the international media underlined that José Mujica, the new president of Uruguay, is a former guerrilla who changed weapons for democracy in order to arrive to power. The point is important for a country like Colombia, where guerrillas have five decades trying to do so through a long and painful war. José Mujica (say in English Joseph Mo-he-ca), a 74 years old leftist, became president of the Uruguayans in an official act in the Parliament last 1rst of March. All the South American presidents were present, with the exception of President Bachellet of Chile for obvious reasons.
President Mujica is called Pepe by his friends and his election to govern Uruguay has great implications for the history of our brother country: the second leftist president in the Republican history of Montevideo. He talks about challenges for the future without forgetting the guerrilla past and the old dream of freedom and regional integration. He was convicted for 13 years for his revolutionary activities in what was known as the Tumaro movement.
Álvaro Uribe was the first South American president in arrive for the possession of Mujica. They met for 20 minutes and then Mujica received the Secretary of State of US, Hillary Clinton. He gave a speech calling the entrepreneurs to help in the national growing and the reduction of poverty.
Lucía Topolansky, his wife, was in charge to take the vow to the new president and he went through the streets of Montevideo in what was called already the Pepemovil in a parody of the Papamovil (the car of the Pope in Rome).
Thousands of Uruguayans came to greet their new president. As the car could not continue the march toward the Independence Plaza, Mojica went out of the car and walked to the Tribune where now former president Tabaré Vásquez was waiting for him.
The greeting to the Army was other special moment. It was the greeting of an old enemy that now became their boss, showing the results of a mature democracy.
He exposed his government program in a very near language to the people, saying that he will sweep the indigence, reduce poverty, boost the economical growing, give more education and culture for Uruguay.
‘Hay que ensayar todos los caminos y fórmulas posibles que sirvan para enriquecer la sociedad y para enriquecernos nosotros mismos como seres humanos’
It is needed to try all the ways and possible formulas in order to enrich the society and to enrich ourselves as human beings, he said to the crowd.
Art by Luis Haro
