Everyone Loves This Photograph Of Uruguay's Radical President Wearing Sandals At A Government Meetin

[Judi Lynn]

Everyone Loves This Photograph Of Uruguay's Radical President Wearing Sandals At A Government Meeting
Adam Taylor, provided by Business Insider
Published 11:02 am, Friday, December 27, 2013

People seem to love this picture of Uruguay's President Jose Mujica at a ceremony for incoming Finance Minister Mario Bergara in Montevideo, yesterday.



Mujica already has an outsized reputation. A former guerrilla fighter known for his exceptionally frugal lifestyle, The Economist nominated Uruguay as its first ever "country of the year" last week, pointing towards a new gay marriage law and its "experiment" with a state-controlled legal marijuana industry.

What is it about this image in particular that stuck with people? Well obviously, there's the crumpled shirt and sandals, and also the strangely nonchalant slouch. But perhaps, as Max Fisher of the Washington Post points out, the beauty of the image lies in its contrast — Mujica is sitting next to two very politician-looking politicians. Mujica may wear sandals and drive to work in a beat up old Volkswagen Beetle, but he is still a hard working politician.

http://www.seattlepi.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Everyone-Loves-This-Photograph-Of-Uruguay-s-5096564.php

(Short article, no more at link.)

[DJ13]

1. Every time I see his picture I cant help but think of Star Trek

Is that crazy?

[BlueToTheBone]

2. Are you hoping he

will beam you up?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Wash. Post:This immediately iconic photo of Uruguay’s president must be seen to be believed

This immediately iconic photo of Uruguay’s president must be seen to be believed
By Max Fisher
December 27 at 12:14 pm

Uruguayan President José Mujica has a well-earned reputation for a personal style that is assertively ... let us call it informal. It's part of the 78-year-old politician's practice of eschewing all trappings of power and status; he gives away most of his salary, lives in a small, one-bedroom apartment and drives an old VW Beetle instead of taking the customary limousine. He's often called "the world's poorest president," although the former guerrilla and Marxist resists the label. He's not a victim of poverty, after all; he's a political leader who cares deeply about economic inequality and is making an effort to lead by example.

Still, there's something to seeing Mujica really living his message that drives home just how unusual it is. This photo, from Thursday, shows him sitting between his vice president (to his left) and his new finance minister, during the latter's official swearing-in ceremony. Soak it in:

What struck me about this photo, after having fully absorbed that I was looking at the head of state of a sovereign nation, was that Mujica has staffed his administration with people who look and dress like senior government officials. In other words, though he's chosen to cultivate a moderately radical image for himself, he's not making that image so important that it's precluded him from working with suit-wearing technocrats. He still wants to run his country.

Since Mujica took office in 2010, his government has won plaudits from Western institutions, including the Economist – not the sort of publication you expect to see endorsing a former Marxist and sandal-wearing critic of the capitalist system. The magazine recently named Uruguay its "country of the year," praising its legalizations of gay marriage and marijuana. "Modest yet bold, liberal and fun-loving, Uruguay is our country of the year," it announced. "Better yet, the man at the top, President José Mujica, is admirably self-effacing."

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/12/27/this-immediately-iconic-photo-of-uruguays-president-must-be-seen-to-be-believed/