Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Born in Uruguay · Nationality Uruguayan — Politics / regimes / war
Documented profile covering 8 controversies, including “Public defence of Raúl Sendic before his resignation” and “Uruguay's reception of six former Guantánamo detainees”.
Profile No. 2871 · Updated on 12 October 2026
§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology
2017
Following revelations of irregularities in Vice-President Raúl Sendic's use of public funds, Mujica publicly downplays some purchases and defends his political ally until the crisis leads Sendic to resign.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
2014
Mujica agrees to accept six men held for more than a decade at Guantánamo without trial as refugees in Uruguay, a decision fiercely debated on security, foreign policy and human rights grounds.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
2013
The Mujica government introduces a law making Uruguay the first country to legalise and regulate at national level the production, sale and consumption of cannabis, with registration and purchase limits.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
April 2013
During a press conference, a microphone left on records Mujica making disparaging remarks apparently directed at Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her late husband Néstor Kirchner, prompting an official protest from Buenos Aires.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
October 2012
Under Mujica's presidency, Uruguay adopts a law permitting voluntary termination of pregnancy during the first trimester subject to conditions, a measure contested politically and socially in a country with a strong Catholic tradition.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
Case · 2 documented stages
1985
After approximately thirteen to fifteen years in detention, Mujica is released following the amnesty law adopted on the return to democracy, then gradually re-enters legal political life.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
1971–1972
Imprisoned for his Tupamaro activities, Mujica escapes from Punta Carretas prison twice, notably during a mass escape through a tunnel in 1971, before being recaptured for the last time in 1972.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
fin des années 1960–1972
Mujica joins the Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros, a clandestine Marxist organisation that carries out robberies, political kidnappings and attacks against the Uruguayan state. He takes part in armed clashes and is wounded by gunfire during his arrest.
Last verified: 17 September 2026
Documented biographical or institutional milestones (elections, appointments, foundings, acquisitions…). These are not controversies and are not counted as such.
Under Mujica, the Uruguayan Parliament adopts a law opening marriage to same-sex couples, making Uruguay one of the first Latin American countries to do so.
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