Witness History
Witness History
José Mujica: Prison break to president
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July 31, 2023
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In the 1960s and '70s, José Mujica was a leading member of a notorious left-wing militant group in Uruguay called the Tupamaros. He survived multiple bullet wounds, torture, and executed a daring prison escape.
After years held in solitary confinement, Mujica was released from prison in 1985 and entered politics. He became Uruguay’s president in 2009. He speaks to Ben Henderson.
(Photo: José Mujica at home in Montevideo. Credit: Ricardo Ceppi/Getty Images)