José Eduardo dos Santos
Full Name
José Eduardo dos Santos
Date of Birth
August 28, 1942
Place of Birth
4
](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-dos-Santos)
Date of Death
July 8, 2022
Place of Death
Education
- Studied at the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry (USSR)
Spouses Names
- Maria Luísa Abrantes Perdigão (details not provided)
- Ana Paula de Lemos (m. 1991)
Children Names
Parents Names
- Father: Avelino Eduardo dos Santos
- Mother: Jacinta José Paulino
José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola from 1979 to 2017, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. He came to power following the death of Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto, and led the country through a period marked by a devastating civil war, which lasted until 2002. Dos Santos was a member of the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA), and his tenure was characterized by efforts to maintain peace and rebuild the nation post-conflict. Despite being credited for steering Angola through its civil war and for attracting significant foreign investment, dos Santos’s rule was also marred by accusations of authoritarianism, high levels of corruption, and the securitization of the state. His administration was criticized for not tolerating critics and for perpetuating inequality through a failure to diversify the economy beyond its heavy reliance on oil. Dos Santos announced his retirement from politics in 2017 and was succeeded by João Lourenço. He spent his final years in self-imposed exile in Barcelona, Spain, where he passed away in 2022. His death sparked a complex legacy, with some Angolans remembering him for his role in ending the civil war and others criticizing the authoritarian and kleptocratic nature of his regime