First Lady of East Timor
Flag of East Timor
Incumbent
Vacant
since 20 May 2022
ResidenceNicolau Lobato Presidential Palace
Formation1975

The first lady of East Timor (Portuguese: Primeira-dama de Timor-Leste) is the title attributed to the wife of the president of East Timor.

First ladies of East Timor

First ladies of East Timor during the War for Independence

Portrait Name Term Began Term Ended President Notes
Lucia Osorio Soares November 28, 1975 December 7, 1975 Francisco Xavier do Amaral Lucia Osorio Soares married Francisco Xavier do Amaral in 1974, a year before East Timor's short-lived proclamation of independence. However, the couple separated shortly after their marriage. Francisco Xavier do Amaral never remarried.[1][2]
Position vacant December 7, 1975 December 31, 1978 Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (Acting president in exile) Lobato's wife, Isabel Barreto Lobato, was executed by Indonesian forces in Dili on December 8, 1975, one day after the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.[3][4]

First ladies of East Timor following the restoration of independence

Portrait Name Term Began Term Ended President Notes
Kirsty Sword Gusmão May 20, 2002 May 20, 2007 Xanana Gusmão Xanana Gusmão met Kirsty Sword, an Australian-born a teacher and human rights activist, in 1994 while he was serving a 20-year sentence as a political prison during the Indonesian occupation. The couple married in 2000, shortly after his release from prison.[5] Upon regaining independence in 2002, Sword become the first post-independence First Lady of East Timor.[5] Sword Gusmão focused on education during her tenure. In March 2015, Sword and Gusmão announced their separation.[5]
Position vacant May 20, 2007 February 11, 2008 José Ramos-Horta José Ramos-Horta and his former wife, Ana Pessoa Pinto, had divorced prior to his victory in the 2007 East Timorese presidential election.[6] President Ramos-Horta was shot and seriously wounded in an assassination attempt on February 11, 2008. While her remained president, two interim presidents served in office from February 11, 2008, until April 17, 2008. Their wives held the positions of interim first lady during that time.
Maria Goretti Guterres Marques February 11, 2008 February 13, 2008 Vicente Guterres [7]
Joy Aquino Siapno February 13, 2008 April 17, 2008 Fernando de Araújo Jacqueline "Joy" Aquino Siapno, a political economist and analyst, served as interim First Lady during 2008.[8] Aquino Siapno, who is originally from the city of Dagupan in the Philippines, is the country's only first lady of Filipina origin.[8][9] She authored several books on the culture, history and politics of East Timor, Aceh, Indonesia, the Philippines and other regions of Southeast Asia.
Position vacant April 17, 2008 May 20, 2012 José Ramos-Horta José Ramos-Horta returned to office full-time following an assassination attempt in March 2008. He and his former wife, Ana Pessoa Pinto, had divorced before he became president.[6]
Isabel da Costa Ferreira May 20, 2012 May 20, 2017 Taur Matan Ruak [10]
Cidália Lopes Nobre Mouzinho Guterres May 20, 2017 May 20, 2022 Francisco Guterres
Position vacant May 20, 2022 Present José Ramos-Horta José Ramos-Horta was reelected to office in the 2022 East Timorese presidential election. He and his former wife, Ana Pessoa Pinto, had divorced before he became president.[6]

References

  1. ^ Goldstone, Anthony (2012-03-08). "Francisco Xavier do Amaral obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  2. ^ Kingsbury, Damien (2012-03-02). "Francisco Xavier do Amaral: First President of East Timor, politician and elder statesman". Deakin Speaking at Deakin University. Archived from the original on 2017-03-05. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  3. ^ Fernandes, Clinton (2007). "East Timor: Balibo Inquiry". UNSW Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Archived from the original on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  4. ^ Hutt, David (2017-08-18). "East Timor's "Red Rosa"". New Mandala by the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. Archived from the original on 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  5. ^ a b c Murdoch, Lindsey (2015-03-22). "Xanana Gusmao and Kirsty Sword Gusmao announce separation". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  6. ^ a b c "FACTBOX-Five facts about East Timor's Jose Ramos-Horta". Reuters News. 2007-05-08. Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  7. ^ "Parlamento Nacional: Vicente da Silva Guterres casado com Maria Goretti Guterres Marques". National Parliament (East Timor). Archived from the original on 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  8. ^ a b Micua, Leonardo V. (2009-04-17). "Timor Leste interim First Lady comes home to Dagupan". Philippine News Agency. ETAN. Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  9. ^ Aquino Siapno, Jacqueline (2015-07-12). "In Memoriam, Fernando La Sama de Araujo (1963-2015)". Rappler. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  10. ^ "Timor Foundation: Partners - First Lady Isabel da Costa Ferreira". Timor Foundation. Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
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