José Mujica Character Analysis in Chasing the Scream

José Mujica was the president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. During the nation’s brutal U.S.-backed military dictatorship, he was imprisoned and tortured for twelve years. As president, he insisted on donating his salary to charity and living on his ramshackle farm instead of in the presidential palace. After researching the issue in-depth, he successfully pushed through the legalization of marijuana, which has prevented cartels from taking over the Uruguayan market. This decision turned Uruguay into one of the world’s most forward-looking, progressive countries in terms of drug policy.

José Mujica Character Timeline in Chasing the Scream

The timeline below shows where the character José Mujica appears in Chasing the Scream. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Drug Legalization and U.S. Policy Theme Icon

...legalize cannabis for the first time. Hari visits Uruguay and interviews its eccentric president, José Mujica, to understand the effects of legalization. During Uruguay’s dictatorship, Mujica spent more than two years... (full context)

After his father’s death, Mujica spent his childhood selling flowers in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo. When he was in university, the... (full context)

In 2009, Mujica was elected president. But instead of embracing the presidential lifestyle, he continued living on his... (full context)

...promoted using drugs like LSD and defying social norms during the 1960s counterculture movement. But Mujica consulted with the English scientists Danny Kushlick and Steve Rolles, who wanted to legalize drugs... (full context)

Following Kushlick and Rolles’s recommendations, Mujica’s government made it legal for Uruguayans over 21 to buy marijuana in pharmacies and grow... (full context)