José Mário Vaz

president of Guinea-Bissau

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July 21, 2026

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Jos\u00e9 M\u00e1rio Vaz served as the president of Guinea-Bissau from 2014 to 2019. He was elected in April 2014 as the presidential candidate for the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), winning the runoff election in May 2014. His presidency was marked by significant political instability, including frequent changes in prime ministers and a strained relationship with his own party.1

Vaz ran as an independent in the 2019 presidential election but received only about 12 percent of the vote, failing to advance to the runoff. The political landscape of Guinea-Bissau has been characterized by frequent coups and power struggles since its independence in 1974. In November 2025, a military coup occurred, suspending the electoral process and state institutions, with reports of arrests of political figures.123

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Guinea-Bissau
Independence of Guinea-Bissau
…presidential candidate, former finance minister José Mário Vaz, received about 41 percent of the vote. As Vaz did not secure an outright majority, he and the second-place candidate, independent Nuno Gomes Nabiam, who won about 25 percent of the vote, advanced to a runoff election held on May 18. Vaz…
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…presidential candidate, former finance minister José Mário Vaz, received about 41 percent of the vote. As Vaz did not secure an outright majority, he and the second-place candidate, independent Nuno Gomes Nabiam, who won about 25 percent of the vote, advanced to a runoff election held on May 18. Vaz…
Read More