As of November 2012, Jose Mujica, the president of Uruguay, held a unique position—the BBC called him "the world's poorest president." It's a common complaint that many politicians around the globe live in luxury while the masses they lead live in poverty. Instead, Mujico has chosen to identify with his people by living on a ramshackle farm located on a dirt road outside the capital.

A reporter for the BBC News described his approach to Mujica's lowly residence:

Laundry is strung outside the house. The water comes from a well in a yard, overgrown with weeds. Only two police officers and Manuela, a three-legged dog, keep watch outside …. This austere lifestyle—and the fact that Mujica donates about 90 percent of his monthly salary, equivalent to $12,000, to charity—has led him to be labeled the poorest president in the world …. In 2010, his annual personal wealth declaration—mandatory for officials in Uruguay—was $1,800, the value of his 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

The article also noted that Mujica doesn't have to live this way. Uruguay provides a luxurious presidential residence in the capital city of Montevideo. But Mujica has chosen to shun the privileges he has a right to enjoy so he can stand in solidarity with the people he serves.

Editor's Note: Mujica has a spotty record on some moral and social issues, but his Christ-like leadership in this area is truly remarkable.