Montevideo, December 7 (RHC)-- The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, awarded former Uruguayan president José "Pepe" Mujica with the National Order of Cruzeiro do Sul, the highest recognition of the Brazilian State.

"It is a thrill to be able to award the great comrade Pepe Mujica with the highest Brazilian honor, the National Order of the Cruzeiro do Sul, for his tireless fight for the best of Latin America and the world; an example for all of us," Lula reported on social network X.

The award ceremony took place at Mujica's farm, in the presence of the president-elect of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, and Mujica's wife, Lucía Topolansky.

Lula said that "of all the presidents I have met, he is the most extraordinary person."
"I am giving this medal to Pepe Mujica not because of the fact that he was president of Uruguay, but because of the fact that he is a comrade," Lula said.

For his part, Mujica affirmed that Lula "is the best thing I have found, in this suffering America of ours."  "I am a man of the people, I have done what I could for my people and nothing more, but this is a friend of many years," added the former Uruguayan president.

The Brazilian president traveled to Uruguay to participate in the 65th Summit of Heads of State of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), which is being held this Friday.

Previously, Mujica received the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, at his ranch, who decorated him with the Extraordinary Grand Cross of Boyacá, the highest civil distinction awarded by the Colombian government.

"He confers the Order of Boyacá in the degree of Extraordinary Grand Cross on Mr. former president of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay José 'Pepe' Mujica, who has been a prominent defender of peace and a firm promoter of dialogue," said the statement.