Lúcio Lara

Lúcio Lara (April 9, 1929 – February 27, 2016) was an Angolan politician who served as General Secretary of the MPLA during the Angolan War of Independence and Angolan Civil War.[1] Lara, a founding member of the MPLA, led the first MPLA members into Luanda on November 8, 1974. He swore in Agostinho Neto as the first president of the country.

Lucio Lara
President of Angola
In office
11 September 1979 – 20 September 1979
Preceded byAgostinho Neto
Succeeded byJosé Eduardo dos Santos
Personal details
Born(1929-04-09)April 9, 1929
Huambo, Portuguese Angola
DiedFebruary 27, 2016(2016-02-27) (aged 86)
Luanda, Angola
NationalityAngolan
OccupationGeneral Secretary
Known forfounding member of MPLA

Lara taught math and physics before he was elected Secretary for Organization and Cadres at the MPLA's first national conference in December 1962.[1][2]

On the date of Agostinho Neto's death, Lara was the highest member of the political bureau and vice-president of the MPLA. With this, he assumed, on an interim basis, the functions of president of the party, and, by extension, president of the People's Republic of Angola. He urgently convened the 2nd MPLA Congress on September 11, 1979, working hard for the election of José Eduardo dos Santos, which occurred on September 20 of that same year. He rejected all proposals made to him to effectively take over the leadership of the country.[3][4][5]

References
  1. Sellström, Tor (1999). Sweden and National Liberation in Southern Africa. p. 378.
  2. Victoria Brittain (2016-02-29). "Lúcio Lara obituary". The Guardian.
  3. Agência Lusa (2010). "Angola: História política de Lúcio Lara lançada em fotobiografia". Notícias do Serviço de Apontadores Portugueses. Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  4. Emídio Fernando (2016). "O homem que marcou o destino de Angola". Nova Gazeta.
  5. Patrício Batsîkama (2014). "O testamento que validou José Eduardo dos Santos na presidência de Angola em 1979". Revista de História da África e de Estudos da Diáspora Africana. Sankofa: FCS/Universidade Agostinho Neto (14).


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