None of us can deny the fact that a lot of those who choose to enter politics do it only to become rich. Numerous people across the world, from pretty much all possible fields, try to win elections desperately, and one of the major incentives is the financial part. But contrary to popular belief, politicians don’t necessarily have to be very wealthy.
Since there is an exception to every rule, there are such things as poor politicians out there in the world. Probably you could find such politicians harder these days, but here we want to talk about some of the famous politicians in the history of the world who didn’t accumulate imposing wealth.
Pedro Castillo
Pedro Castillo was a former union leader and school teacher, and he rose to prominence as the president of Peru back in 2021. He came from a rural polarized background and campaigns on a platform of addressing inequality and poverty in Peru. His election came as a surprise for many, a major departure from traditional political elites in Peru.
Michelle Bachelet
Michelle Bachelet was the President of Chile in two rounds: from 2006 until 2010 and from 2014 until 2018. Her family went through persecution under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and had to face a lot of hardship early in her life. Fighting such hard challenges, Bachelet pursued a career in medicine and later entered politics. She was also the first female president of Chile and stood out for advocating for social reform and human rights.
Jorge Eliecer Gaitan
Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was a prominent politician in Colombia, and he stood out for his advocacy for the poor and marginalized. Guyton was born into poverty in rural Columbia, and he rose to prominence as a charismatic leader and champion of social reform. The people of Columbia were extremely frustrated because of the assassination of Gaitan that took place back in 1948.
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceausescu was the former leader of the communist regime in Romania until 1989, when he was executed after accusations of famine and crimes against humanity. Ceausescu rose to power from humble beginnings in a rural village. Born into a poor peasant family in 1918, he had to face the hardships of poverty and deprivation firsthand.
Ceausescu was known for authoritarian rule and megalomaniacal tendencies that led to widespread repression, economic mismanagement, and censorship. On the other hand, the former communist leader in Romania amassed personal wealth and constructed grandiose monuments to his regime. The majority of Romanians went through poverty as well is deteriorating living conditions.
Jose Mujica
Jose Mujica from Uruguay was often referred to as the humblest president in the world. He has served as the president of the South American country between 2010 and 2015. Until his political career, Mujica lived a modest life, eschewing material wealth and donating much of his salary to the poor. He was committed to social justice and austerity, and his experiences as a former guerrilla fighter and political prisoner might have been to blame.
Feel free also to read our previous article about some of the poorest political leaders from the USA!
