Caracas, December 3 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Venezuela is the first stop on Uruguayan President Jose Mujica’s eight-day tour of Latin America, aimed at securing the international relations he has forged with regional countries during his five-year mandate.

Announcing Mujica’s arrival, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro commented on the recent victory of Mujica’s successor, fellow leftist Broad Front member, Tabare Vazquez. Both Vazquez, who was president of Uruguay from 2005-2010, and Mujica are “great friends” of Venezuela, he said.

During a telephone conversation following Vazquez’s electoral victory on Sunday, Maduro and Vazquez agreed to meet soon and discuss relations between both countries.

Mujica’s next stop will be in Ecuador, where he will participate in a Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) meeting, taking place December 4th in Guayaquil.

The world-renowned Mujica, leaving office with 60 percent voter approval, will then travel to Mexico to participate in the 24th Ibero-American Summit.

Mujica is known for maintaining an austere life style, achieving the lowest level of income inequality in Latin America, and reducing his country's national debt, as well as for decriminalizing abortion and legalizing marijuana and same-sex marriages.