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DILI, East Timor — Francisco Guterres, former President of East Timor and a prominent leader of the independence movement, has passed away at the age of 71.
Guterres, widely known by his nom de guerre “Lu Olo,” died on Sunday at Prince Court Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he had been in intensive care, according to his family’s statement on the late president’s official Facebook page. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
He served as president from 2017 to 2022, concluding decades of political and armed involvement that secured independence for Southeast Asia’s youngest nation in 2002.
“Throughout his life, he remained committed to the freedom of his people and the building of a democratic nation,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a message of condolence to his family and the people of East Timor (Timor‑Leste).
Fretilin, the party Guterres led for many years, described his death as a “profound loss” for all who share the goal of building a free, democratic and sovereign nation.
The party underscored his lifelong dedication to the independence movement and his efforts in fostering national unity, dialogue, peace and political stability throughout his public career.
Born on September 7, 1954, in Ossu, Viqueque District, in what was then Portuguese Timor, he served as a guerrilla commander who rose to prominence during Indonesia’s occupation from 1975 to 1999. As a senior Fretilin leader, he played a key role in the transition to independence after the United Nations‑backed referendum in 1999.
He served as president of the Constituent Assembly in 2001, overseeing the drafting of East Timor’s constitution, and became the first speaker of the National Parliament after independence in 2002. After several unsuccessful bids, he was elected president in 2017 and served one term, before losing a reelection bid in 2022 to current President José Ramos‑Horta, his fellow independence activist.
East Timor’s government declared seven days of national mourning, lowering flags on all public buildings and overseas missions.
Guterres is survived by his wife, Cidalia Lopes Nobre Mouzinho Guterres, and their children. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced later.
