Francisco Mendes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Mendes
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Chico Mendes at his wedding party in Ziguinchor, Senegal (1973)
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| 1st Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau | |
| In office September 24, 1973 – July 7, 1978 |
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| President | Luís Cabral |
| Succeeded by | Constantino Teixeira |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 February 1939 Enxude, Guinea-Bissau |
| Died | 7 July 1978 (aged 39) |
| Political party | African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde |
| Occupation | Politician |
Francisco Mendes, also known by his nickname Chico Té (born February 7, 1939 – died July 7, 1978), was an important politician from Guinea-Bissau. He became the country's first Prime Minister. He held this job from September 24, 1973, until he died in a car accident on July 7, 1978. The exact reasons for his death are still discussed.
Contents
Early Life and Joining the Fight
Francisco Mendes was born in Enxude, a place in Guinea-Bissau. In the early 1960s, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) started a fight for independence against Portugal's control. This fight lasted for more than ten years.
Mendes was one of the few students in Guinea-Bissau who was attending secondary school at the time. He decided to leave school to join the PAIGC and help with the independence movement. He quickly became an important leader in the 1960s. By 1962, he was a political leader for the Bafatá area. From 1963 to 1964, he held a similar role on the Northern Front. He joined the PAIGC's main leadership group in 1964 and became part of their war planning group in 1965. In 1967, he was put in charge of the Council for the Northern Front.
Becoming Prime Minister
After talks between Portugal and the PAIGC in early 1974, Portugal officially recognized Guinea-Bissau's independence. The PAIGC had actually declared independence almost a year before this.
The new government, led by the PAIGC, was headed by Luís Cabral. He was the half-brother of Amílcar Cabral, who helped start the PAIGC but was sadly killed in 1973. Francisco Mendes was chosen as the country's first Prime Minister, known as Comissário Principal.
In this role, Mendes was in charge of many programs to help the new country grow. He worked on plans to develop the nation and spent four years trying to bring people together after the long fight for independence. His signature was even on the first money notes (10, 50, 100, and 500 peso) that Guinea-Bissau printed in 1976.
Francisco Mendes died on July 7, 1978, in a car accident. While the exact reasons for his death are still debated, it is widely believed that there were disagreements within the PAIGC leadership at the time.
Honoring Francisco Mendes
Francisco Mendes is remembered as an important African nationalist and a national hero in the fight for independence. He has been honored in both Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
His picture was featured on the 500 Pesos Guineense banknotes in 1983 and 1990. Many schools and streets in Guinea-Bissau are named after him. Also, the Francisco Mendes International Airport in Praia, Cape Verde, was named in his honor.
Personal Life
Francisco Mendes got married in 1973 in Ziguinchor, Senegal. He had two sons and two daughters.
Images for kids
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Chico Mendes' marriage party in Ziguinchor, Senegal with Luís Cabral to the right of the cake, 1973
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Chico Mendes and Luís Cabral's wife at Mendes' marriage in Ziguinchor, Senegal, 1973, detail
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Mendes para niños
