Nicolau Lobato
| Nicolau Lobato | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
Lobato in 1975
| |
| 1st Prime Minister of East Timor | |
| In office 28 November 1975 – 7 December 1975 | |
| President | Francisco Xavier do Amaral |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Mari Alkatiri (2002) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 May 1946 Soibada, Portuguese Timor |
| Died | 31 December 1978 (aged 32) Mount Mindelo, East Timor, Indonesia |
| Cause of death | Killed in action |
| Party | Fretilin |
| Spouse | Isabel Barreto Lobato (m. 1972; died 1975) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Narciso Lobato (father) Felismina Alves (mother) |
| Relatives | Rogério Lobato (brother) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Timor-Leste |
| Years of service | 1975–1978 |
| Commands | Falintil |
| Battles/wars | Indonesian occupation of East Timor † |
Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (24 May 1946 – 31 December 1978) was an East Timorese politician who is considered a national hero of the country.
He was the first Prime Minister of East Timor and vice president of Fretilin. In 1978, he was killed by the Indonesian Kopassus during the country's invasion of East Timor.
Biography
Lobato was born in Soibada, Portuguese Timor, on 24 May 1946.
Lobato was the first prime minister 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 Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) leaders, fled into the Timorese hinterland to fight against the occupying forces. On 31 December 1978, Lobato was ambushed at Mount Mindelo and fatally shot in the stomach by the Kopassus, an Indonesian special forces unit then led by Lieutenant Prabowo Subianto (later president of Indonesia).[1][2] His body was brought to Dili to be inspected by the Indonesian press. What then happened to his body is unknown; the East Timorese government continues to pursue the issue with the Indonesian government, so that his remains can be given a proper burial.[3]
East Timor's main airport was renamed Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in his honour.
References
- Back to citation "Indonesia: Fretilin leader shot dead in East Timor (Kuala Lumpur BUSINESS TIMES in English 3 Jan 79 p 18)". Translations on South and East Asia. 802. Arlington, VA: U.S. Joint Publications Research Service: 17. 8 February 1979.
- Back to citation "Body of Timor-Leste's first prime minister still missing after 41 years". Tempo Timor. 31 December 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- Back to citation Barker, Anne (20 February 2018). "East Timor's latest attempt to solve the mystery of what happened to its first PM". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
Further reading
- Nicol, Bill (2002). "Chapter Eleven: Strange Bedfellows". Timor: A Nation Reborn. Jakarta: Equinox Publishing. pp. 106–120. ISBN 979958986X.
External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Francisco Xavier do Amaral |
President of East Timor 1977–1978 |
Vacant Title next held by Xanana Gusmão |
| Office established | Prime Minister of East Timor 1975 |
Vacant Title next held by Mari Alkatiri |