On August 17, 2015 Jose Mujica the ex-president of Uruguay visited Guatemala during the VI Esquipulas Forum where he spoke on “Moral Imperatives of Human Beings Before The Politics and Economics of Globalization”. The Forum took place in Guatemala City with the participation of various Human Rights entities and Latin America political leaders from Cuba, Argentina, Ecuador, etc. The ex-president was received warmly and with much anticipation given the current political state of the country.
Jose Mujica is considered by many as the world’s humblest president. During his time in office he donated almost 90% of his salary to charities in Uruguay to combat poverty and help small entrepreneurs. His visit to Guatemala came with great expectations as Guatemala currently faces the biggest political scandal and governmental instability due to corruption among high-ranking officials. Several former Guatemalan presidents and current candidates attended the forum and expressed admiration for Mujica’s humility and honesty.
He stated that democracy becomes sick when political leaders give in to the consumerist mentality. He pointed out that accumulating wealth justifies inequality in the mind of a leader, which contradicts the basic concept of democracy. Mujica made a call to action for the youth of Guatemala to fight the selfishness created by social classes and global consumerism. He expressed his hopes for Guatemala in the face of their political crisis that this time Guatemalans would choose honest and transparent leaders.
*image via gettyimages
