Viriato Clemente da Cruz facts for kids

Viriato Clemente da Cruz was an important Angolan poet and politician. He was born in 1928 in Kikuvo, Angola. He passed away in Beijing, China, on June 13, 1973.

Viriato da Cruz wrote many poems in Portuguese and other Angolan languages. He also helped Angola become free from Portugal's rule.

Viriato da Cruz's Political Work

Viriato da Cruz studied in Luanda, the capital of Angola. At that time, Angola was ruled by Portugal. In 1957, when he was young, he traveled to Paris.

There, he met Mario Pinto de Andrade, another Angolan writer and politician. Mario helped Viriato develop his political ideas. In the 1960s, they both helped start a group. This group was called the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). Its Portuguese name is Movimento Pela Libertação de Angola.

The MPLA was not based in Angola at first. It was in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. Later, it moved to Leopoldville, Congo. Today, Leopoldville is called Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC. Viriato da Cruz became the secretary-general of the MPLA.

After some time, Viriato and other members had disagreements within the group. These disagreements led to fighting in the streets of Leopoldville.

Life in Exile in China

Because of the fighting in the MPLA, Viriato da Cruz went to Beijing, China. This happened in the 1960s. At first, the Chinese government welcomed him. He was well-known for helping create the MPLA.

The Chinese wanted Viriato da Cruz to help them spread their ideas. These ideas were about a type of socialism called Maoism. They wanted to bring these ideas to Africa.

This was a big problem for Viriato and his family. His ideas were different from the Maoist ideas. He believed that stronger countries should not force a socialist revolution on other places. He was very brave and did not change his beliefs. This went against the Chinese Maoist idea of a world revolution.

Viriato da Cruz wanted to leave China and go back to Africa. However, the Chinese government would not let him go. They also treated him poorly. This might have been because they feared he could cause problems for their work in Africa.

Viriato da Cruz's Last Years

The last years of Viriato da Cruz's life were sad and hard. He was weak and did not have much food. He died on June 13, 1973.

His body was taken away in a military vehicle. His burial happened without any special ceremony. Some Angolan people found this very shocking. Viriato da Cruz had worked hard for Angola. He was one of the leaders who helped free Angola from Portugal.

Principal Books

• Poems (1961). Some well-known poems from this book include Namoro, Sô Santo, and Makézu.

See also

In Spanish: Viriato da Cruz para niños