José Ramos-Horta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Ramos-Horta
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Horta at the Palácio do Planalto in 2023
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| 4th & 7th President of East Timor | |
| Assumed office 20 May 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Taur Matan Ruak Xanana Gusmão |
| Preceded by | Francisco Guterres |
| In office 17 April 2008 – 20 May 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Xanana Gusmão |
| Preceded by | Fernando de Araújo (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Taur Matan Ruak |
| In office 20 May 2007 – 11 February 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Estanislau da Silva Xanana Gusmão |
| Preceded by | Xanana Gusmão |
| Succeeded by | Vicente Guterres (acting) |
| 3rd Prime Minister of East Timor | |
| In office 26 June 2006 – 19 May 2007 |
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| President | Xanana Gusmão |
| Preceded by | Mari Alkatiri |
| Succeeded by | Estanislau da Silva |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Manuel Ramos-Horta
26 December 1949 Dili, Portuguese Timor (now East Timor) |
| Political party | CNRT (2022–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Fretilin (until 1988) Independent (1988–2022) |
| Spouse | Ana Pessoa (divorced) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Antioch University The Hague Academy of International Law International Institute of Human Rights Columbia University |
| Signature |  |
José Manuel Ramos-Horta is a famous politician from East Timor. He was born on December 26, 1949. He has been the President of East Timor since 2022. He also served as president from 2007 to 2012.
Before becoming president, he was the country's Foreign Minister from 2002 to 2006. He also served as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007.
Ramos-Horta won the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo. They received the award for their work to find a fair and peaceful solution for the conflict in East Timor.
He was a founder of a political group called Fretilin. During the time when Indonesia occupied East Timor (1975–1999), Ramos-Horta spoke for the East Timorese people who were resisting. He later left Fretilin in 1988 and became an independent politician.
After East Timor became independent in 2002, Ramos-Horta became its first foreign minister. He resigned in 2006 during a time of political trouble. Soon after, he was appointed acting prime minister. He became the official prime minister on July 10, 2006. He was elected president in 2007. In 2008, he was injured in an attack.
After his first term as president ended in 2012, Ramos-Horta worked for the United Nations. He was the UN's special representative in Guinea-Bissau starting in 2013. He was elected president of East Timor again in 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Education
José Ramos-Horta was born in 1949 in Dili, the capital city of East Timor. His father was Portuguese, and his mother was part Portuguese and part Timorese. Both his father and his grandfather were sent to Timor by the Portuguese government.
He went to a Catholic mission school in a small village called Soibada. This village later became a headquarters for the Fretilin group. Sadly, four of his eleven brothers and sisters were killed by the Indonesian military.
Ramos-Horta studied different types of law and international relations. In 1983, he studied international law at The Hague Academy of International Law. He also earned a master's degree in Peace Studies from Antioch University in 1984. He learned about human rights law in France in 1983. He also took courses on American foreign policy at Columbia University.
Personal Life
Ramos-Horta has been a Senior Associate Member at St Antony's College, Oxford since 1987. He can speak five languages very well: Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, and Tetum. Tetum is the most common language in East Timor.
He is divorced from Ana Pessoa Pinto, who was a minister in East Timor. They have one son, Loro Horta, who was born when his parents were living away from East Timor.
Political Journey
Ramos-Horta was very active in helping people in Portuguese Timor understand politics. Because of this, he was sent away from the country for two years in 1970–1971. His grandfather had also been sent away from Portugal to other places before him.
Ramos-Horta was a moderate leader among those who wanted East Timor to be independent. In November 1975, he became the Foreign Minister in the new "Democratic Republic of East Timor" government. He was only 25 years old when he got this job.
Just three days before Indonesian troops invaded East Timor, Ramos-Horta left the country. He went to the United Nations to ask for help for East Timor. He spoke to the UN Security Council and asked them to act against the Indonesian occupation. During this time, many East Timorese people died. For the next ten years, Ramos-Horta was the main representative for Fretilin at the UN. He often had very little money during this time. He traveled around the world to explain his country's situation.
In 1993, the Rafto Prize was given to the people of East Timor. Ramos-Horta accepted the award for his nation. In 1994, the president of the Philippines tried to stop a meeting about East Timor. He also tried to ban Ramos-Horta from entering the country.
In December 1996, Ramos-Horta shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Bishop Ximenes Belo. The Nobel Committee honored them for their "sustained efforts to hinder the oppression of a small people." They hoped the award would help find a peaceful solution for East Timor. Ramos-Horta said he uses the Nobel Peace Prize to speak up for his country and for other people around the world. The Committee saw Ramos-Horta as the main international voice for East Timor since 1975.
Ramos-Horta played a big part in setting up the rules for East Timor's independence. He led discussions with the UN to create a plan for a joint government. This plan helped East Timor become independent. On September 27, 2002, East Timor joined the United Nations. Ramos-Horta became its first Foreign Minister.
Becoming Prime Minister (2006–2007)
In June 2006, Ramos-Horta also became the temporary Minister of Defense. He resigned from both his foreign and defense minister roles on June 25, 2006. He said he did not want to be part of the government at that time. However, after Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri resigned, Ramos-Horta agreed to become prime minister. On July 8, 2006, President Xanana Gusmão appointed him prime minister. He was sworn in on July 10.
Before becoming prime minister, Ramos-Horta was considered a possible candidate to become the United Nations Secretary-General. He decided not to run for that job so he could serve East Timor.
First Time as President (2007)
Ramos-Horta announced in February 2007 that he would run for president in the April 2007 election. He had the support of President Gusmão, who was not running again. Ramos-Horta said that Mahatma Gandhi was his biggest hero.
In the first round of the election, Ramos-Horta came in second. He then went to a second round of voting in May against Francisco Guterres. On May 11, Ramos-Horta won the election with 69.18% of the votes.
He became the President of East Timor in a ceremony in Dili on May 20, 2007. He had resigned as prime minister the day before.
Attack in 2008
On February 11, 2008, Ramos-Horta was shot during an attack. One of his guards was hurt, and two rebel soldiers were killed. Ramos-Horta was taken to a hospital in Dili, then moved to Australia for more treatment. Doctors said he was shot two or three times, and his right lung was seriously injured. His condition was serious but stable. He was in a special sleep to help him heal, but he woke up on February 21.
On March 12, a message from Ramos-Horta was broadcast. He thanked his supporters and Australia. He said he was getting much better and was taking short walks. He was released from the hospital on March 19. He returned to Dili on April 17. At the airport, he asked the remaining rebels to give up.
Presidential Election in 2012
In the first round of the 2012 presidential elections, Ramos-Horta came in third place. He was allowed to run for a second term as president. He accepted his defeat. His term as president ended on May 19, 2012, when Taur Matan Ruak became the new president.
Second Time as President (2022)
Ramos-Horta decided to run for president again in 2022. He said that the current president, Francisco Guterres, had not followed the constitution. Ramos-Horta said that if he won, he would dissolve the parliament and call for new elections. His campaign was supported by Xanana Gusmão.
Ramos-Horta promised to help reduce poverty, improve healthcare for mothers and children, and create more jobs. He also wanted to improve communication between political parties to make the country more stable. He also planned to work with the government to fix problems with supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.
In the final round of the election, Ramos-Horta ran against the current president, Francisco Guterres. Ramos-Horta won by a large margin, receiving 62.10% of the votes. He told his supporters, "I have received this mandate from our people, from the nation in an overwhelming demonstration of our people's commitment to democracy."
The United States Department of State congratulated Ramos-Horta on his election. They praised the election as free, fair, and open. They said East Timor's election is an inspiration for democracy around the world. The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, also congratulated him.
Ramos-Horta was sworn in as President of East Timor on May 20, 2022. This was also the 20th anniversary of East Timor's independence.
Other Activities
After a coup in Guinea-Bissau in 2012, Ramos-Horta offered to help solve the conflict. He also worked as a special envoy for the UN in that country.
He wrote a book called Words of Hope in Troubled Times.
Since 2000, Ramos-Horta has been the Chairman of the Advisory Board for TheCommunity.com. This website focuses on peace and human rights. He has worked with other Nobel Peace Prize winners on peace projects.
Ramos-Horta supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq and criticized those who were against it. He had also supported the Kurdish people in Iraq in the 1990s.
In May 2009, Ramos-Horta said he would ask the International Criminal Court to investigate the leaders of Myanmar if they continued to hold Aung San Suu Kyi. However, by August 2010, he had changed his mind about Myanmar. He welcomed Myanmar's Foreign Minister and said he wanted to improve relations and trade with Myanmar.
In 2006, Ramos-Horta supported the International Simultaneous Policy (SIMPOL). This group tries to solve global problems by getting many countries to act together.
On August 5, 2009, he attended the funeral of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino. He was the only foreign head of state there. On June 30, 2010, he attended the inauguration of Benigno Aquino III, the 15th President of the Philippines. Again, he was the only head of state present.
Ramos-Horta is a member of the Global Leadership Foundation. This group helps support democratic leaders and works to prevent conflicts. They also promote good government and human rights.
In August 2017, ten Nobel Peace Prize winners, including Ramos-Horta, asked Saudi Arabia to stop the executions of 14 young people. These people had taken part in protests.
He also hosts a television show called Horta Show on Radio-Televisão Timor Leste.
In 2021, Ramos-Horta joined the judging committee for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. This award promotes human kindness around the world.
Awards and Honors
Nobel Prize
Bishop Ximenes Belo and Ramos-Horta were jointly given the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize.
Other Awards
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (2002)
Honors from Countries
Australia
- Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (November 25, 2013). This was for his great work in making relations stronger between Australia and Timor-Leste, and for his leadership in helping Timor-Leste gain independence.
Cape Verde
- 1st Class of the Amílcar Cabral Order (July 6, 2011)
Portugal
- Grand Collar of the Order of Camões (October 31, 2022)
- Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (November 13, 2007)
- Grand-Cross of the Order of Liberty, Portugal (June 9, 1998)
- He received an Honorary Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Cambodia (2010).
Film Depictions
The 2000 documentary The Diplomat follows Ramos-Horta from 1998 until his return to East Timor in 2000. In the 2009 film Balibo, Ramos-Horta is played by Oscar Isaac. This film tells the story of the Balibo Five and the events before Indonesia occupied East Timor.
See also
In Spanish: José Ramos-Horta para niños
- 2007 East Timorese presidential election
- 2012 East Timorese presidential election
- List of peace activists
