‘More faithful member’: the relationship of Mujica and Manuela, Três Patas bitch

She lost one of the paws in an accident with the tractor that Mujica drove in the farm where the family lived. While the politician maneuvered the vehicle, the dog began to be chased by other dogs in the region. The animal fled toward the tractor and, despite braking, Mujica could not avoid the collision.

According to Lucía, the dog knew when she was going to travel with her family and when Mujica was absent for a period. “She realized (that Mujica would travel without her) because another suitcase appeared,” he says.

It’s amazing how she misses Pepe. When he got sick in 2005 and was hospitalized for a month, I would arrive at 6am to take care of him and came back at 18h. And when I got by car, she was there, waiting. What did she expect? May Pepe leave. And she was all happy, and then … her ears fell. The day he arrived, it seemed that her tail was going out of the mouth with joy. Lucía Topolansky, in an interview during the presidency of Mujica

Manuela accompanied the former president in protocol acts, such as official events, and was a matter in his interviews. In 2015, Mujica told the British network BBC that the animal was “the most faithful member” of his government. Already to CNN, he stated: “The more I know humans, the more I love dogs.”

The animal died in 2018 at the age of 22. According to Mujica, his canine companion died because of the advanced age. In 2020, Mujica resigned as he held in the Uruguayan Senate, and claimed at the time that he missed Manuela.