Cristina Fontes Lima facts for kids

Maria Cristina Lopes Almeida Fontes Lima, born in 1958, is a lawyer and politician from Cape Verde. She has held important roles in her country's government. She served as a minister in different areas, including justice, defense, and health. She was also the Deputy Prime Minister.

Early Life and Learning

Maria Cristina Fontes Lima was born in 1958. She studied law at the Classical University of Lisbon in 1981. Later, in 1996, she earned a master's degree in Public Administration from Southern Illinois University in the United States. This degree helped her learn how to manage public services and government.

Her Work in Government

Maria Cristina Fontes Lima is a member of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde. She began her work in the government on January 13, 2001. The Prime Minister at the time, José Maria Neves, appointed her as the Minister of Justice. In this role, she was in charge of the country's legal system.

She served as Minister of Justice until March 8, 2006. After that, she took on new responsibilities. She became the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Minister of State Reform, and Minister of Defence. As Minister of Defence, she was responsible for the country's military and security.

In 2011, Fontes Lima was given even more important roles. She became the Minister of Health and the Deputy Prime Minister. As Minister of Health, she led Cape Verde's efforts to protect its people from serious diseases.

Leading During Health Crises

During her time as Health Minister, Maria Cristina Fontes Lima played a key role in protecting Cape Verde. She helped the nation respond to the West African Ebola virus epidemic. This was a very serious disease outbreak in nearby countries. She also managed the country's response to the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic. The Zika virus affected more than 7,000 people in Cape Verde.

In February 2014, she led the signing of a national health agreement. This agreement was a plan to improve health services across the country.

Political Leadership

In December 2014, Prime Minister Neves decided not to run for another term. Maria Cristina Fontes Lima became a candidate to lead her political party. She finished third in the election.

She left her government roles after her party lost the 2016 Cape Verdean parliamentary election. In September 2016, she ran for a seat on the city council of Praia. However, she was not elected. The candidate from the Movement for Democracy party won that election.