Carlos Vila Nova Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Carlos Vila Nova
Vila Nova in 2015

5th President of São Tomé and Príncipe
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 October 2021
Prime Minister	Jorge Bom Jesus Patrice Trovoada Ilza Amado Vaz Américo Ramos
Preceded by	Evaristo Carvalho
Minister of Infrastructure, Natural Resources and the Environment
In office 25 November 2014 – 3 December 2018
President	Evaristo Carvalho
Preceded by	Fernando da Silva Maquengo de Freitas
Succeeded by	Osvaldo Abreu
Minister of Public Works and Natural Resources
In office 15 August 2010 – 12 December 2012
President	Fradique de Menezes Manuel Pinto da Costa
Deputy
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 November 2018
Constituency	Água Grande

Personal details
Born	(1959-07-27) 27 July 1959 (age 66) Neves, São Tomé and Príncipe, Portugal
Political party	ADI
Spouse	Maria de Fátima Afonso Vila Nova

Carlos Manuel Vila Nova was born on July 27, 1959. He is a politician from São Tomé and Príncipe, a country made of islands in Africa. Since October 2, 2021, he has been the fifth president of São Tomé and Príncipe. Before becoming president, he worked as a government minister. He was the Minister of Public Works and Natural Resources from 2010 to 2012. Later, from 2014 to 2018, he was the Minister of Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and the Environment.

Early Life and Education
Career Before Presidency
- Entering Politics
Presidency
Personal Life
Honours
See also

Early Life and Education

Carlos Vila Nova was born in Neves. This city is located in the Lembá District on the northern coast of São Tomé Island.

He studied telecommunications engineering at the University of Oran in Algeria. He finished his degree in 1985. After graduating, he returned home. He became the head of the computer department for the government's Statistics Directorate.

Career Before Presidency

In 1988, Carlos Vila Nova left his government job. He started working as a sales manager at the Hotel Miramar. At that time, it was the only hotel in the country. By 1992, he was promoted to be the Director of the Hotel Miramar.

In 1997, he became the Director of another hotel, Pousada Boa Vista. He also started his own travel agency called Mistral Voyages. Mr. Vila Nova worked in the tourism business for many years. He continued in this industry until he began his political career in 2010.

Entering Politics

Carlos Vila Nova became the Minister of Public Works and Natural Resources in 2010. He served in the government led by Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada. His time as minister ended in 2012 when the government lost its majority.

He was appointed Minister of Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and the Environment in 2014. This happened when Patrice Trovoada's party, Independent Democratic Action (ADI), won the majority again. In 2018, Vila Nova was elected to the National Assembly. This is like the parliament or congress of the country.

Presidency

Carlos Vila Nova was the candidate for the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party. He ran in the 2021 São Toméan presidential election. On September 6, 2021, he was announced as the president-elect of São Tomé and Príncipe. He won with 58% of the votes. He defeated Guilherme Posser da Costa from the MLSTP/PSD party. On September 14, the country's constitutional court officially declared him president.

On January 6, 2025, President Vila Nova removed Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada and his government from office. He explained that Trovoada had been absent for long periods. He also stated that the government had not solved several important issues. Trovoada said his dismissal was "illegal" and "unconstitutional."

After this, President Vila Nova chose Ilza Amado Vaz, who was the Minister of Justice, to be the new prime minister. However, Vaz later resigned. She wrote a letter saying that her continued leadership would not help the country's progress. Following her resignation, he selected Américo Ramos. This choice was criticized because Ramos was not supported by the ADI party, which had the majority in the National Assembly.