New Delhi . India on Wednesday expressed deep condolences on the demise of former President of East Timor (Timor-Leste) Francisco Guterres ‘Lu-Olo’. The Foreign Ministry said Guterres will be remembered for his contribution in strengthening relations between the two countries. “Secretary of Eastern Affairs Rudrendra Tandon visited the Embassy of East Timor in New Delhi and signed the condolence book. He expressed condolences on behalf of the Government of India to the family, government and public of the late President. Dr. Francisco Guterres ‘Lu-Olo’ will always be remembered for furthering the friendly relations between India and Timor-Leste,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media platform X. Guterres ‘Lu-Olo’, 71, died on Sunday in a hospital in Malaysia, where he was undergoing treatment. Timor-Leste’s news agency Tatoli had given this information. His family described it as a “deep loss” to his wife, children, FRETILIN (political party), freedom fighters and all those who contributed to nation building.
Guterres joined the national liberation movement in 1974 and played an active role in responding to the Indonesian occupation. In 1998 he became head of Fretilin, a political party that emerged from the armed conflict.
Actually, FRETILIN was established in 1974. The party had unilaterally announced the independence of East Timor from Portugal on 28 November 1975. Immediately after this announcement, Indonesia attacked East Timor. FRETILIN then waged a long and bloody armed struggle against the Indonesian occupation. Its armed wing was called ‘Falintil’.
Following Timor-Leste’s independence referendum, Guterres was elected President of the Constituent Assembly in 2021. Serving as Speaker of the National Parliament, he announced the restoration of Timor-Leste’s independence in 2022. He was the Speaker of the Parliament from 2002 to 2007 and served as the President of the country from 2017 to 2022.
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