Francisco Guterres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Guterres
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Official portrait, 2017
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| 6th President of East Timor | |
| In office 20 May 2017 – 20 May 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Rui Maria de Araújo Mari Alkatiri Taur Matan Ruak |
| Preceded by | Taur Matan Ruak |
| Succeeded by | José Ramos-Horta |
| 1st President of the National Parliament | |
| In office 20 May 2002 – 31 July 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Fernando de Araújo |
| President of the Constituent Assembly | |
| In office 15 September 2001 – 20 May 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Himself as (President of the National Parliament) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 September 1954 Ossu, Portuguese Timor |
| Political party | Fretilin |
| Spouse | Cidália Lopes Nobre Mouzinho Guterres |
| Signature |  |
Francisco Guterres, also known as Lú-Olo, was born on 7 September 1954. He is a politician from East Timor, a country in Southeast Asia. He served as the 6th president of East Timor from 2017 to 2022.
Guterres is also the leader of a political party called Fretilin. Before becoming president, he was the first president of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007. He ran for president several times. In 2017, with the help of former prime minister Xanana Gusmão, he was elected president. He tried to be re-elected in 2022 but lost to José Ramos-Horta. He is seen as a politician who supports ideas that are a bit to the left of the center.
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Early Life and Background
Francisco Guterres was born in a place called Ossu in 1954. He has said that he came from a "poor family, of humble people." He is a Roman Catholic and used to be a guerrilla fighter, which means he fought as part of a small, unofficial army.
Journey in Politics
Guterres became an important figure in the Fretilin party. In 1998, he was chosen as the general coordinator of the Council of Armed Resistance. In July 2001, he was elected as the president of the Fretilin party.
Becoming a Parliament Leader
In August 2001, Guterres was elected to the Constituent Assembly. This assembly was a group of people who helped write the country's laws. He was then chosen by this assembly to be its president. When East Timor became an independent country in May 2002, the Constituent Assembly changed into the National Parliament. Guterres continued to be its president.
Presidential Elections
Guterres ran for president in 2007 as the Fretilin party's candidate. He promised to help ordinary people. In the first round of the election, he received the most votes. However, in the second round, he lost to José Ramos-Horta, who was an independent candidate. Guterres accepted the results and congratulated Ramos-Horta.
He was re-elected to parliament in June 2007. Guterres ran for president again in 2012. He won the most votes in the first round but was defeated in the second round by Taur Matan Ruak.
Becoming President of East Timor
In the 2017 presidential election, Guterres ran for president for the third time. He had strong support from former prime minister Xanana Gusmão and his party, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT). Early results showed that he won more than half of the votes in the first round.
Guterres officially became the 6th president of East Timor on 20 May 2017. He was the first president to be elected who was also a strong member of a political party.
Leading During the Pandemic
In 2020, Guterres decided to stay in office to help his country deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he started a campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated. He talked about how important vaccines were. During this time, rules were put in place for people to wear masks. Many people praised him for how he handled the pandemic, as the number of COVID cases in East Timor dropped a lot after the vaccination campaign began.
End of Presidency
Guterres ran for re-election in 2022 but lost to José Ramos-Horta in the second round. Ramos-Horta became president on 20 May 2022. This was a peaceful transfer of power, meaning the change of leadership happened smoothly and without conflict. This date also marked the 20th anniversary of East Timor's independence.
See also
- In Spanish: Francisco Guterres para niños
