Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (24 May 1946 – 31 December 1978) was an
East Timorese
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-wester ...
politician who is considered the national hero of the country.
Biography
Lobato was born in
Soibada
Soibada is a town in the Soibada Administrative Post, Manatuto District of East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It compris ...
,
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor ( pt, Timor Português) was a colonial possession of Portugal that existed between 1702 and 1975. During most of this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Dutch East Indies.
The first Europeans to arrive in the ...
on 24 May 1946.
Lobato was the first
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
of the
Democratic Republic of East Timor from 28 November to 7 December 1975. Upon the
invasion by the Indonesian military, Lobato, along with other key
Fretilin
The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor ( pt, Frente Revolucionária de Timor-Leste Independente, abbreviated as Fretilin) is a centre-left political party in East Timor. They presently hold 23 of 65 seats in the National Parliam ...
leaders, fled into the Timorese hinterland to fight against the occupying forces. On the final day of 1978, Lobato was ambushed by Indonesian special forces led by Lieutenant
Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former army lieutenant general who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia. He is the son of Sumitro Djojoh ...
(later son-in-law of President
Suharto) at Mount Mindelo.
He was killed after being shot in the stomach on 31 December 1978 and his body was brought to Dili to be inspected by Indonesian press. What then happened to his body is unknown, but the East Timorese government continues to pursue the issue with the Indonesian government, so that his remains can be given a proper burial.
East Timor's latest attempt to find the body of its first prime minister Nicolau dos Reis Lobato
''ABC News'', 21 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
East Timor's main airport was renamed Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in his honour.
Gallery
Dili International Airport.JPG, Nicolau Lobato International Airport
F-FDTL-Centro de Instrução-Metinaro-2009.JPG, Military centre "Comandante Nicolau Lobato"
Präsidentenpalast 17-05-2015.jpg, Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace
The Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace ( pt, Palácio Presidencial Nicolau Lobato, tet, Palásiu Prezidensiál Nicolau Lobato) is the official workplace of the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. It is located in , , a '' suc ...
Nicolau Lobato Statue.jpg, Nicolau dos Reis Lobato statue in Comoro
2022-05-19 Monumentu Memoriak I Governu-1975 3.jpg, Nicolau dos Reis Lobato and Francisco Xavier do Amaral
Francisco Xavier do Amaral (3 December 1937 – 6 March 2012) was an East Timorese politician. A founder of the ''Frente Revolucionária de Timor Leste Independente'' (Fretilin), Amaral was sworn in as the first President of East Timor w ...
memorial in Dili
Stamp of Nicolau dos Reis Lobato.jpg, Nicolau dos Reis Lobato depicted on a postage stamp
Notes
References
Further reading
*
External links
Biography of Nicolau Lobato in Portuguese
1946 births
1978 deaths
People from Liquiçá District
Mambai people
Fretilin politicians
Prime Ministers of East Timor
Presidents of East Timor
Deaths by firearm in East Timor
Military personnel killed in action
Lobato
East Timorese Christian socialists
{{EastTimor-politician-stub