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Former Uruguayan President Jose "Pepe" Mujica says the political and economic crisis in Venezuela should be resolved only by Venezuelans, without the intervention of any “outsiders."
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"I know they have their issues, but they have to fix them among Venezuelans and without the intervention of outsiders," Mujica said Wednesday during a meeting with former Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua, who visited the socialist leader at his ranch on the outskirts of Montevideo.
"If I speak about homeland, Venezuelans are my brothers, my countrymen. So I feel (like a) brother of all Venezuelans, regardless of their political positions,” Mujica said. “I am a friend, I am a fellow of many Venezuelans who think different than me.”
The chat with Mujica was released in a video published by the Venezuelan embassy in Montevideo. In the video, the 81-year-old Mujica, now a senator, recalls the solidarity of Venezuela with thousands of Uruguayans who were exiled by the dictatorship (1973-1985).
Mujica is seen as a moral leader in Latin America and the world. As president, he donated more than of 75 percent of his US$12,000 per month salary, the majority of which went to government programs that benefited the poor and small entrepreneurs.
Before becoming president, Mujica was a member of the left-wing Tupamaros guerrilla group and was imprisoned for 14 years — and shot 6 times in an escape attempt.
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